Define Sin
by Mad-TopHat-Ter
Summary: Sin has always existed but never has it been personified to their extent. They were the result of corruption in mankind and the experiments conducted to try and contain it. YAOI. AkuRoku.
1. Sinful Life

Good morning/afternoon/evening or whenever you're reading this. Mad-TopHat-Ter at your service and proudly bringing you a very special treat which I've been working long and hard on for quite some time now. A brand new story! This one is different and while **it will** still** be a yaoi** there will be numerous twists that you haven't seen in either one of my previous Kingdom Hearts stories and you won't be expecting.

Anyways on we go. This story is entitled 'Define Sin' and was inspired by my (almost unhealthy) fascination with the seven deadly sins. When the idea hit, it hit hard and once again has become an original piece of work in progress. Pairings will be announced as they surface and you'll see hints at one by the end of this chapter but we all know **there will be AkuRoku goodness eventually.**

Gah, I hate first chapter authors notes, it feels like I have so much to explain and that I'm ranting. Have I covered everything? Well I obviously don't own Kingdom Hearts or the characters affiliated with the game, though I'm proud to say their personas come directly from my head in this story. I own the plot and the zip drive the story is saved on and that's it.

One last thing: **this is rated M for different reasons than the other stories I've written** and it deserves it more so please **don't say I didn't warn you.** There will be gore, violence, language, prostitution, (possible) lemon (much later), and minor demean religion. Take into consideration the title of this story: 'Define Sin' you can't expect a circus this time.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Sinful Life**

_Would the world miss me? Would you miss me?_

The radio wasn't as bad as the high pitched electric frequency that rang every time the alarm went off. Dumb hands patted around the nightstand, finding the button and silencing the hum before the hand went back to what it first hit. The brunette picked up the money and rolled over in bed onto his back, wincing a bit as he counted the bills. His morning pain would fade but this money wouldn't.

The door opened and he quickly hid the money under the pillow behind his head, looking over at the door and relieved when he saw his brother, "Morning Roxas, sleep well?"

"Thanks to your and your friend I didn't sleep at all," the blonde said with an obvious note of distaste as he leaned against the doorframe. For twins they were the same genetically and for most of their lives they'd been relatively similar. Over the past two years though Sora had changed.

"Aw Roxas, he wasn't a friend," Sora said, pulling the money back out and continuing to count it.

Roxas couldn't believe it and after a few second he realized something odd about what he'd said, "Wait. He?"

"Hey. You do what you have to," was Sora's logic though in this case it was more 'you do who you have to.' He leaned over and opened the drawer beside the bed, putting the money away and sitting up, his body still a bit sore, "So what's for breakfast."

"You're a pathetic excuse for a human being," Roxas scowled, turning and leaving his brother alone. Sora merely smiled sadly and watched him go, _'I don't need you to tell me something I already know.'_

Roxas was downstairs at the table going through his bag to make sure he had everything by the time Sora dressed and got there, a noticeable stiffness in his walk. He couldn't believe what Sora had become and he shook his head disapprovingly, "What would mom say?"

"Nothing. She's dead," Sora said carelessly through a yawn, "What day is it?"

"Thursday Sora," Roxas sighed, shutting his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. While all the other seniors who graduated last year were off succeeding in college or working hard at a job Sora was spending his school-free life at a night club. Roxas never asked what or where it was, honestly not wanting to know. Besides, he was busy enough with school, attending the university across town, "And as usual you have nothing to do."

"Now who made you my personal agenda?" Sora laughed from the cabinet as he pulled out a box of cereal, "How's college treating you?"

"A lot better than your one night stands," Roxas said sharply, "Put that in a bowl; other people have to eat it you know."

"Yes little brother," he taunted, not about to let him forget he was 7 minutes and 34 seconds older. Roxas was only further annoyed and he left without another word. Sora smiled a little before sitting at the table and helping himself to the cereal, ignoring Roxas' advice to use a bowl.

There was a whistle from down the hall and Sora didn't bother looking back, "Man, he's not happy with you."

"Must be since you're here Wrath," he replied before holding up the box. A few seconds later he felt a hand rummage through it and pull out a handful, "You can still taste food right?"

"Ha, ha, you're a funny kid," sarcasm dripped off every word but Sora still didn't look at him, "Be careful about how funny you get around him though." Sora didn't answer and he stared at the table, not sure how to take the comment. "Well I suppose it's a good thing I got called in, Riku was going to come by and get you in the next hour," when he heard that Sora broke his stare on the table and the other man laughed a bit, "I thought that would wake you up."

Sora ignored that and swatted the hand away as it came back to reach into the cereal box, "Use a bowl…So what am I needed for?"

"Same as usual," the man came around the table, fierce red hair contrasting strongly with his attire of all black, "We've got some people who need to be put into check. A couple who showed up last night after you left for…more important business."

Sora gave the redhead a cruel look but knew he deserved it, "Axel…did you tell him?"

"I didn't have to. It's pretty obvious where you go and what you do," Axel said, helping himself to more cereal after easily taking the box from him, "It's who you're doing it to that's the big mystery."

From under the table Sora kicked him in the shin before standing up and heading upstairs, "Let me get dressed."

"Might want to try a hot shower too for the stiffness," Axel called after him with a snide smile, under his breath adding, "And a sock in the mouth for the whining."

* * *

"La-de-da-de-whee!" 

Watching the blonde slide across the freshly waxed wooden floors in socks was anything but entertaining for the other man sitting at the bar, his head throbbing from last night. Usually he had a good tolerance for alcohol but he was convinced something had been slipped into one of his drinks. He usually wouldn't accept drinks from people, why should he when he worked the bar and could get drinks free? However, last night Luxord made the mistake of trusting someone, one of his coworkers, "Damn it…Xigbar," he grumbled, his head on the counter and his hands rubbing his neck.

"You complained?"

Luxord cut his eyes up at the gray haired man wearing a grin and an eye patch, "You did this."

"Yup," Xigbar didn't deny it and he patted Luxord on the back, "Payback is a bitch."

Before Luxord could say anything the blonde came sliding by again, slamming right into Xigbar and knocking them both over. Luxord laughed even if it hurt his head more, it was worth the pain, "Indeed it is."

"What's all the noise?" asked another man in nervous panic as he came running downstairs.

"Calm down Zexion, it's just Demyx making a mess," sighed another man who'd come up from the basement to see what the noise was.

Zexion was relieved and he sat down on the floor, looking up at him with a bit of a smile, "Riku didn't sleep last night?"

"Riku didn't have time to sleep last night," Riku said, indulging in the other's use of third person for fun. As he went over to help Demyx up Zexion followed, humming to himself and sitting on a stool toward the end of the bar.

Demyx was still laughing as he tried to get up, merely slipping again and conveniently landing on Xigbar again. Riku took his hand and helped him to his feet, knowing very well his landing on Xigbar was anything but accidental, "Now, now Demyx; no whoring around this early in the day."

"Rightio," Demyx said casually, dusting himself off and sitting on the bar counter by Luxord, rubbing his head to try and relieve the headache.

Xigbar didn't get up, comfortable to just lie on the floor, "Speaking of whore, where's the Envious one?" he asked, not needing to elaborate since they all knew what was going on.

"Axel went to get him," Luxord said into the bar, waving a hand carelessly to the rest of the room, "Apparently he made that brother of his mad enough that he had to check it out."

"That bad?" Demyx was genuinely shocked, as were the others, "Wow, Sora can successfully make anyone he meets angry."

What was sad was that nobody disagreed, not even Riku, though he did change the subject, "Regardless, we've got to put an end to that couple from last night. They were effectively causing more trouble than the entire club."

"Envy, Lust, Greed, Wrath, and Pride," Demyx confirmed, losing his childish behavior and adopting the serious one, "It's the first time more than three sins have been called out for the same mission in over 120 years."

"The last one though involved all seven of us," Zexion said with a slight shudder in his voice as he remembered the event.

"Yeah, but you have to take into consideration," Xigbar said with an annoyed sigh, "120 years ago we had a different-"

"Envy!" Demyx interrupted, though he effectively finished Xigbar's sentence and greeted Sora whom was followed by Axel, oddly enough carrying a box of cereal, "And Wrath! Welcome back."

"We would've been back sooner but someone needed a hot shower," Axel said, handing the cereal box to Demyx as he went behind the bar to make a drink for himself.

Sora said nothing, sitting by Demyx whom turned to him and said, "Just ignore Axel, he's a jerk." It was so entertaining to watch Demyx switch masks around people and act so differently. He would be your best friend one minute and the next minute he'd be gossiping with others behind your back, most famous for his two faced behavior around Sora but he was good at it with Axel and Xigbar as well.

Sora wasn't oblivious to Demyx's antics, but he wasn't about to say anything since Demyx was one of the few that would still talk to him. Zexion had been watching quietly from the end of the bar but he spoke up before all the underlying tension of the group erupted, "So now that everyone is here should we start?"

"Like I said earlier, we've got to snub out all the trouble that couple from last night are causing," Riku said, joining Axel behind the bar and explaining, "They live on the other side of town in the plaza, more money than god but not happy. They want everything, whether it's a material item or another person and they get what they want by any means."

"The whore of a wife has been bringing in money of her own through a new job which involves club hopping for rich intoxicated men," Axel added before taking a shot of the drink he'd made, "And the husband isn't much better. He's the dean at the college and has been drugging students and raping them."

"Possibly the most upsetting thing is how they both know what their spouse is doing," Riku concluded, "Lust for people other than their spouse, Greed for the wife's obsession with money, Pride for the husband's ability to act as if he's done nothing, Envy because whether or not they ever admit it they miss the life they once had together, and Wrath for the utter hatred and foul intentions they have planned for each other. Anyone have any ideas of how to put an end to all of this?"

There was a long silence as everyone thought seriously and Axel took another shot of alcohol before coming out with his plan, "Well, she's a prostitute right? We can put an end to her easily. One of you just have to convince her you're rich and when you get her alone it's lights out in more than one sense."

"There's the matter of being traced though, especially if the pair is seen together in a public place like a nightclub," Xigbar pointed out as he got up off the floor finally and sat at the bar.

"Leave it to me. I'll make her disappear," Riku said, reminding them who he was.

Axel laughed a bit before getting more glasses and sliding them down the bar to the others, "That's right, you worked with Mr. Jack back in the day."

"Out of all 43 murders, only 5 of the victims were found," Riku said while recounting those days over a hundred years ago, working alongside Jack the Ripper in London's east end, "It's been a while but I think it's safe to say she won't be a problem. What about the husband?"

"Where did you say he worked?" Sora asked, having an idea but he had to make sure he heard right.

Nobody answered him, the cold shoulder treatment had been going on for weeks now and Sora wasn't surprised he was ignored. There was only so much of the tense silence the group could take though and Demyx finally caved and answered, "He's the dean at the college across town."

Sora knew then that his plan would work and he had some hope that if it succeeded he'd gain some redemption in the group, "My brother is going there, he can-"

"No."

Zexion finally spoke up and Sora looked down at the serious expression on his face, wondering why he didn't agree, "Leave him out of this. You should know we can't get anybody involved with us."

"You're risking enough as it is by still living with him," Xigbar said shortly. They all knew that well by now but Sora was still having trouble accepting the fact that to exist they couldn't exist. They couldn't get attached to anyone or anything because the next day they could have to get rid of them; nobody could live a sin-free existence and neither could the sins live entirely in one person. One night stands and limited indulgence were the confines of their attachment. That was what made everyone envious yet in awe of the one meaningful relationship in the group, but the way Envy had treated it made them disgusted and enraged.

Axel took his box of cereal back from Demyx, who'd been helping himself for quite some time now, and poured some in a bowl he retrieved from under the counter, "How do we do this though? I mean a prostitute you can just make disappear easily. The dean of the college is another story, he's seriously in the public eye," Axel pointed out while uncorking the bottle of vodka and filling the bowl of cereal with it.

"It would be great if we could get rid of him in the public eye though, make an example to everyone else," Luxord loved the idea of public humiliation, the problem was finding a way to work that out, "He's bound to make a statement to the press about his wife's disappearance and we should do it then."

"One of us should be behind a reporters note pad then," Xigbar proposed, the idea gaining momentum by the minute, "A little game of dress up, one bullet later the guy is gone and we make a quick and clean escape."

"I'll do it," Axel said as he ate his alcohol induced cereal and read the almost sickeningly cheerful and bright back of the box, "It's been a while since I've shot someone."

"The woman should be here tonight if her pattern of hopping doesn't falter, Demyx you'll be helping me trick her," Riku said, more than ready to wrap this up since he was tired, "I'll finish her off and within 72 hours there should be some sort of address to the press where Axel can get rid of the dean. Luxord you're responsible for Axel's escape and Sora you'll be sitting this one out."

Sora wasn't expecting to hear that but the others didn't care, everyone accepting the plan and leaving to continue about their morning business, "What do you mean sitting out? I'm a part of this," Sora protested, following Riku persistently.

"A very small part and your conscience won't care about missing, just like you won't either," Riku said on his way back to the basement, "As I said. You're only called because they miss the life they once had together. That happens so often you shouldn't be bothered by it."

Sora heard an edge in his voice and knew what he was implying, making him hesitate to follow him down the spiral staircase a couple of steps behind him, "I'm sorry I left early last night. I promised Roxas I'd be home before midnight." It was a lie and Sora knew it hadn't worked when Riku stopped and turned back to him, taking out a cigarette he'd tucked behind his ear and saying, "Hayner Harnes. 394 Jonathan Avenue. Don't even try to lie to me." Sora couldn't look at him, cutting his eyes to the floor and feeling 2-inches tall under the look Riku was giving him. Riku put the cigarette in his mouth and took out a lighter, turning and continuing down into the large white open room as he lit the tip of the stick.

Sora hated this area of the building more than any other and he felt horribly uneasy standing on the stairs even, hugging his arms and wondering whether he should go after Riku or not. He wasn't the only one put off by this room but he had the most reason to be. Finally he pulled himself together and made it to the floor, wandering across the lab to where Riku was watching the big monitor on the wall which displayed all sorts of information Sora didn't understand yet. He knew what one of the windows meant though, it showed all the situations of sin major enough that they had to address. How it worked he had no idea, the technology that was or had once been in this room was far beyond what anybody had seen before.

There was an uncomfortably long silence and Sora shifted and waited for him to say something, finally having to say it himself, "I told you I was sorry." Sorry wasn't nearly enough and Sora knew that, "…I really am."

"I think pathetic it a better choice of word," Riku said shortly, tapping the base of the screen and changing pages. He was mad and that was an understatement, "You've got some nerve to keep coming back."

Sora forced himself to smile a little, moving between him and the screen, "You can't stay mad at me though. Come on, it's just a few flings for money."

"That I had to find about through Demyx," that was what made Riku the angriest. They all suspected what was going on but it wasn't until Demyx caught him in the act this past weekend that Sora finally admitted to what he'd been doing for a month now.

"Aw Riku, don't tell me you haven't had a fling before," Sora said, trying to make him lighten up even though he felt awful and it wasn't working.

Riku smiled a little but the way he did it made Sora feel worse and he took the cigarette from his mouth and tapped off the ashes at the end before saying, "Not since you came into the picture two years ago. But, since you obviously don't care, all that will change tonight." The mission, Sora nearly forgot but when he heard that he was actually upset. Tonight he'd have someone else. He had no right to be jealous though since he'd been doing this to Riku for quite some time. "Go home Envy, you have no place here," Riku said shortly, putting the final nail in the coffin and Sora knew he was seriously not going to let this go.

His chest ached and he didn't know what to do, "Riku…I love you," he tried to reach out for him but Riku crossed his arms to make it clear he wanted nothing to do with him, "Please, I'm sorry."

"Get out."

* * *

Roxas had a bad enough day at school, and when he returned home only to see the living room was a mess he felt worse, _'Sora…'_ he knew who to blame an sighed with obvious annoyance as he practically threw his bag on the table and started to pick up the mess. As he calmed down though he realized that the mess was rather scattered and there was no pattern that would indicated Sora had spent the day lying on the sofa watching bad soap opera reruns, "Sora?" he called down, the hall. When he didn't hear a reply things only seemed stranger since Sora always shouted down some sort of response.

He put the stack of books on the table and started up the hall, looking into each room for his brother. There was a thud from upstairs and Roxas wondered what was going on. It was far too early in the afternoon for Sora to be bringing home any 'good paying customers' as he called them, "Sora? You up there?" There was a long silence and finally the door opened and Sora came out onto the landing, "Yeah…hey Roxas."

Something was wrong. He looked horrible, "What happened to you?" Roxas asked, quickly coming up the stairs. As if he didn't sound miserable enough his unusual black attire was something Roxas hadn't seen before, and that said a lot since he was always stuck doing laundry, "And what are you wearing?" Sora said nothing, instead just staring at the floor below even after Roxas was right next to him. "Sora…what happened?" Roxas was worried. This was not his brother.

"…Things used to be so simple," his voice was shaking and looking closer Roxas could see his eyes were red. He'd been crying.

"Hey, everything is okay, come on," Roxas said, taking Sora and leading him back into his room. It was trashed but unlike the mess downstairs this one seemed violent, as if he'd just released whatever was wrong on the room. He didn't scold him for the mess because Sora was an even bigger mess right now and he sat him down on the bed, "Why don't you change out of that and rest?"

"I ruined it…I ruined everything," he mumbled, hanging his head and staring at the floor again.

It must have been something serious because Sora sounded shaken to his very core and if he was in trouble Roxas wanted to know, "Sora. Tell me what happened."

"…I ruined it," he repeated sadly, "…He loved me and…and I ruined it."

Roxas was annoyed to hear that and he stood up, "Oh please Sora. You believe those creeps you bring home when they say they love you?"

"No, Roxas you don't understand-"

"I understand perfectly! I'm sick of having to worry and take care of a whore!" Roxas shook his head in disgust and glared at him harshly, "I used to have a brother I admired! What happened to my brother Sora?!"

Sora deserved those words and he knew it but he couldn't tell Roxas the truth. Where he really went every night, who he was with, how he met the people he brought home, why he needed the money, or why he was crying, "Roxas there's so much more though!"

"Prove me wrong!" Roxas shouted as he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind himself but as soon as he turned to go down the hallway someone grabbed him and jerked him back to the wall, one hand covering his mouth and the other holding him off the ground and pinned to the wall.

"You keep showing up on my list, and you've finally hit priority status," the fierce eyed redhead said, looking mildly annoyed. Roxas was horrified but he was relieved when the door opened and Sora came out, "Axel! Let him go!"

"He's a Wrath priority Sora, this isn't any of your business," Axel said casually, "Just doing my job." Roxas could feel a burning pain in his chest and he screamed into Axel's hand as he struggled to get away, "Sorry kid."

"Axel please! It's my fault!" Sora pleaded, still in tears and only feeling worse by the second. All of the wrath in Roxas' soul was literally being wrapped around his heart under Axel's hand. It was a technique used in priority situations like this, requiring temporary contact with the target from whichever sin they were prioritized for.

Axel felt bad about it, really he did, but he'd done this so many times he didn't know why. Sympathy was very rare from him, if not nonexistent and this wasn't caused by Sora's pleas, it was because of the tears and fear in Roxas' eyes…pretty blue eyes. He couldn't bring himself to do it and he felt himself losing his constriction around the fragile heart. He let go of Roxas and he immediately slid down the wall, petrified and trying to catch his breath while his hands clung tight to his racing heart.

Axel knelt down in front of him and took hold of Roxas' chin to lift his eyes up to his own, "Hey, I don't want to have to do that to you again so work on those anger issues alright?" Roxas couldn't move, scared stiff and just staring at him. Axel didn't let go of him though, staring at the tear glossed blues for quite some time with great interest, "You have beautiful eyes…"

"Axel," Sora spoke up quickly yet there was a note of submission in his tone since he owed his brother's life to him, "Leave him alone." Sora knew Axel and he didn't want someone like him anywhere near Roxas. Axel merely laughed a bit and stood up, looking from Roxas to Sora before heading back down the stairs, "Have fun explaining this one Sora."

Roxas literally didn't move an inch until he heard the front door shut, immediately turning to Sora, "What's going on?!" he seldom swore but he'd nearly been killed and wanted answers, "Sora, what the hell are you doing?!"

Sora couldn't answer, he couldn't tell him.

"Sora, answer me!"

He couldn't, the only thing he could do was run from it. And he ran. Back into his room and right out the window. Roxas heard the glass shatter and he quickly got up to his feet, running into the room and over to the window, looking out just in time to see Sora disappear around the block, "Sora!" What was going on? Roxas couldn't take it anymore, stressed to the max and unable to breathe he fell limply backwards and blacked out right there on the messy floor.

* * *

Not even to chapter 2 and there's already so much angst. I won't say much here since I feel like I ranted enough in the opening notes. 

Don't worry, just because I'm writing this story now doesn't mean 'A Pirate's Life for Us' will fall off the face of the earth. Just as I did with it and 'When the Circus Came to Town' I'll work on both stories and balance progress and updates as evenly as possible. Now, more than ever, I ask you all to review and tell me what you think so far. This story is going to be a major test for me and I'm going to be trying things I haven't before so please let me know how (if at all) you like it.

And now I'm off. I'm going to try and get a new chapter of the pirate story up by tomorrow night but with a new school week come new twists, especially with the Thanksgiving break starting Thursday so I'm not sure what will happen between now and then. Thank you so much for reading and as always I wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	2. Sinful Solutions

Another chapter of sinful delight! I can't thank you guys enough for all the positive feedback I got on the first chapter, and I'm so glad you like the story thus far. I hope that you continue to enjoy it through this chapter, one which took quite a few read-throughs to get to a finished product. I have nothing really important to say here other than you all are amazing and thank you so much for continuing to read! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Sinful Solutions**

Lying in bed staring out the barred window, Sora had barely moved the past three days and since he had nowhere else to go he'd returned to the nightclub. Axel told the others what happened and for the first time the others felt bad for Sora. They'd all abandoned or had been abandoned by their family at some point in time but it had been over a century since they had a living relative. Sora was different, he still had a brother in life and that made him more human than the rest of them.

However, there was still the issue of what he'd done before that. There were those who tried to comfort him and those who still were disgusted and wanted nothing to do with him. What surprised him though was who fell on which side.

"Let's have a look." Sora looked over at the door and sat up stiffly before holding out his right arm, bandaged from hand to elbow. Riku took the hand and unbandaged it a little to see how the cuts were healing for a few minutes before retying them and letting go, "Getting better," the fact Sora hadn't moved contributed largely to it.

Sora said nothing and still didn't look at him, bringing his hand back to his lap with the other. Riku was the last person he expected to help him, but out of all the others he turned out to be to only one that would. Sora didn't have a room here since he usually went home so Riku had given up his, which Sora was relatively familiar with since when he had stayed the night it was with him in here, "That wasn't smart. We can live forever Sora but we can also die. You should know that."

When he said that Sora looked back over to the window, grumbling under his breath, "What would you have done?"

"Well I certainly wouldn't have jumped out a second story window and nearly cut my arm to ribbons in the process," Riku said and the way he said it made Sora laugh a little which was a nice change.

Sora hadn't meant to laugh and he felt bad about it, "…Thanks," what he felt worse about though was the fact that Riku was helping him after the way he'd treated him.

Riku stood up and ran a hand through Sora's hair, "Go back to sleep," he said before heading for the door.

"Riku," Sora said before he could leave, having to know, "Was she any good?"

Riku couldn't help but laugh a bit and shake his head, wondering how much that question had plagued Sora over the past few days, "I didn't sleep with her." Sora felt even worse and as soon as the door closed he stuck his face in the pillow and screamed out all of his frustration.

* * *

"Just as planned, the dean is addressing the press this afternoon," Demyx announced as he looked through the paper. His method of reading the news involved completely taking apart the paper and laying it all across the floor around him.

"It's been 72 hours, she's officially missing," Xigbar reminded him, picking up one of the papers from the floor and sitting on a barstool to read it.

Axel was glad to hear that, he'd been waiting for his turn at the mission since Riku made the wife disappear nights ago, "Good. It'll be nice to close this one finally."

"Go get ready. You'll have to look like a reporter and normal," Riku said on his way downstairs, "Demyx you want to do me a favor?"

Demyx smiled, not needing to ask what it was, "Lie down." Axel headed upstairs, Xigbar following to help him get ready, while Riku lay down on the floor and put his head on his arms. Demyx hummed a little as sat comfortably on his back, "Didn't sleep well again?"

"I've been sleeping on the couch upstairs," he reminded him. Since he'd given up his room to Sora there were few other places to sleep. The entire area downstairs was one large room with a bar in the center, booth seating around the walls and a DJ area on the opposite side. Below this level was the lab that was off limits to the public and there was nothing comfortable down there, while above this level was an extension of the club reserved for the VIP's which consisted of a private bar and more comfortable seating, all over looking the floor below. The sins had rooms of their own through a door upstairs, leading into a long hall which connected to each room.

"Stress probably isn't helping either," Demyx said while rubbing his shoulders, tight as usual, "You could have come and bunked with me you know."

Riku knew what that meant and he shook his head, "I'm trying to make a point to him, sleeping with you would ruin that."

Demyx smiled and leaned down to hug him, resting his head on Riku's shoulder and nuzzling his face in his hair, "But you seem so miserable lately." Demyx was Lust in every way shape and form. All of the sins had slept with him, some more often than others, and it never meant anything other than a way to forget and relieve, "I haven't gotten to spend bedtime with you in years."

"From what I've heard, you're getting plenty of 'bedtime' from Xigbar lately," Riku said, easily ending the matter.

Demyx grinned and sat up, rubbing his back again with a pleased look. He didn't mind not having him since Riku was more like a big brother figure for him anyway, definitely not the same kind of role any of the others played, "You win. I was just trying to help…So how is he?"

"Still pretty quiet, but his arm is healing quickly," Riku said grimly, but that was to be expected since they healed much faster than regular humans, "I don't know what he's going to do about his brother though. It's going to be difficult for him to face him again."

"I meant 'so how is he' in bed, but if you want to talk about him as a person go ahead," Demyx said with a shrug.

Riku laughed, leave it to Demyx to make a matter perverse, "Shut up and finish."

Demyx smiled with a nod and used his hands to push down on his back, easily prying out several cracks all up and down his spine. Pleased with his work, Demyx leaned down to hug him again, "Feel better?"

"Much, thank you," he said, rolling over and shrugging Demyx off, "Keep an eye on him while we're gone okay?" Demyx nodded and watched him get up and head for the bar. Realizing he had nobody left to talk to Demyx sighed and hugged his sides before rolling over onto his stomach to continue reading the paper.

* * *

Roxas stared out the window sadly at the campus outside. He was anything but focused on the lesson, only wondering about his brother. Where was he? There was something going on and he needed to know what.

"Mr. Benvolio." He quickly looked back when he heard the professor say his name, realizing he was in trouble, "If you're going to have your mind out that window, I suggest you do the same with your body." In translation he'd just been kicked out of class, but that was fine with him and he gathered up his belongings and left without a word.

He kept thinking of where his brother would have gone, trying to remember places he'd mentioned. That was the problem though, Sora never told him where he went and he never wanted to know before now. Roxas hung his head with a sigh but three gunshots later he'd dropped everything and panicked. There were screams and he looked not too far behind him to where the dean now lay bleeding on the ground while reporters photographed the scene and the security officers chased after the shooter.

Axel laughed a bit behind his checkerboard eye mask; he was faster than the guards and just had to make it to Luxord and Riku to be home free. He ducked his head when he heard a shot, easily evading it and heading for the doors to the science building for a shortcut out. On his way to the doors though he spotted someone in his path: a familiar looking blonde with beautiful blue eyes.

Roxas didn't need to see his eyes or hair to recognize him, even in his normal attire he knew it was Axel and Axel knew where his brother was; this he was certain of. He didn't have to think of a way to stop him because Axel ran right to him and grabbed him, covering his mouth and putting the gun against his head, "Behave," was all he said. He didn't have to tell Roxas that because unlike last time he wasn't afraid even with a gun pressed against the side of his head. He'd do what it took to find Sora.

The security guards froze when they saw Axel had taken a hostage, "Don't follow us, or you'll be cleaning up another bloody mess," he was very calm about it all and he backed through the door into the science building, kicking it shut behind them. The guards wouldn't stand by for long and he had to get out of here before they changed their mind, "Right, how do we get to the parking lot from here?" he asked, putting the gun away and letting go of Roxas so he could take off his hat and fix his hair. Roxas just glared at him, not caring if he was caught, "Come on kid! If I'm caught I'll make sure your head rolls too," Axel's tone made it clear he was serious about the threat.

"Where is Sora?" Roxas demanded, not threatened in the least and his glare not faltering.

Axel was actually surprised by how firm he was being in this situation and he took off his mask before smirking and grabbing the front of Roxas' shirt, "Listen, I'm in charge, got it?" Roxas' strength crumbled and he slipped from his authority. Satisfied with his submission Axel continued, "Your brother is fine, and if you do exactly as I say I'll take you to him."

Roxas felt a wave of hope and he quickly said, "Anything."

"Show me the way out of here," was all Axel said and Roxas nodded, leading Axel down one hall then another, finally to a set of doors leading out to the parking lot. Axel made sure his gun was ready before opening the door and seeing the coast was clear. As he tried to leave though Roxas grabbed his wrist, "Wait! What about our deal?"

Axel hadn't forgotten and he turned around and pushed Roxas back into the building, grabbing his shirt collar again and pressing him into the wall, "I said I'd take you to him and I will," before Roxas could say anything Axel kissed him roughly, memorizing every inch of his mouth for several seconds before there was the sound of gunshots coming from down the hall. The guards must have finally broken in, idiots, they could have just opened the door.

As soon as Axel drew back Roxas felt light headed and dizzy, recomposing himself quickly and looking disgusted. Axel merely winked at him and pulled him out of the doors. They ran up the hill to the parking lot where Riku and Luxord were waiting with a polished black car, windows just as black as the vehicle itself.

"Here he comes," Luxord said, spotting the redhead in the rearview window and turning the car on. Riku was waiting outside, finishing a cigarette just as he saw Axel coming, "About time," he complained, opening the door so Axel could jump in. What he hadn't expected to see was the blonde following behind him, recognizing him immediately.

"What do you think you're doing," Riku said, stopping them both before they could get in.

"I made a deal with him that I'd take him to Sora," Axel said, taking the cigarette from him and inhaling a long drag, "And if you've got a problem with that we can leave him here for the police to question."

Riku obviously wasn't happy about this but he moved away so they could get in, glancing back at the school and wondering what Axel was thinking. Getting someone involved was beyond foolish and the fact that Roxas had ties to the rest of Twilight Town made his involvement all the more threatening to the sins. They'd have to sort this out later, right now they had to get away before the guards caught them escaping so he got in the passenger seat and Luxord sped away.

The car ride was long and Roxas sat there in silence, staring out the dark window to his left unblinkingly. He could feel the three of the others shooting him looks of suspicion, dislike, and skepticism for the entire time and it made him uneasy. It was for his brother though. He had to see Sora. Axel told him he was fine but he seemed like the last person Roxas would even consider trusting. If that was so, why did he trust them to take him to Sora? The answer was clear; because he had no other options.

They'd been driving for over an hour now and Roxas didn't recognize this part of the city. They were in the heart of downtown it looked like, where the buildings towered high above and made the streets dark. Scantily clad people Roxas would never associate himself with wandered the sidewalks, some sitting there looking worse than he felt. Finally the car pulled into an alley and a garage door opened when Luxord pushed a button on the visor. It was pitch black inside and Roxas felt a tinge of fear creep up his spine as the door closed behind them, watching the last little remnants of light outside slowly sealed out.

Three seconds later an almost blindingly bright light filled the garage, which was much larger than Roxas first thought and he couldn't contain a gasp. It was literally an airplane hanger. Cars of all styles and sizes lined one wall, motorcycles, a helicopter, what looked like a large submarine, and an airship. How on earth did all this fit into one section of the city?

"Get rid of him," Riku said simply as he and Luxord got out of the car.

"Rightio!" Axel said as he started to climb into the driver's seat.

Roxas panicked and lunged out, grabbing Riku's sleeve before he could get out, "Wait a minute! You said I could see Sora!"

"He said he'd take you to him. Sora is here, but you can't see him," Riku said firmly before pulling free of Roxas' hold and following Luxord for the elevator in the middle of the room.

Roxas tried to open the doors but they locked immediately, the trigger disappearing into the door completely, "Let me see him! Let me see my brother!" he shouted, banging on the window and turning to Axel, "You tricked me!"

"You should've been more specific kid, sorry," Axel said, obviously holding no real sympathy, "But thanks for the kiss."

Roxas couldn't believe this, his brother was so close and they weren't going to let him see him? He wouldn't stand for that, and just as Axel was about to start the car Roxas struck him over the head as hard as he could with his shoe. Axel made a pained grunting noise, his eyes rolling back in his head as he fell forward. Before his head could hit the horn Roxas grabbed the back of his shirt and eased him over across into the passenger seat, "I'm not sorry about that…" he said before reaching past him and unlocking the doors.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Demyx asked eagerly, running up to Luxord and Riku as they came upstairs.

"Axel picked up a hostage, and now it's his job to get rid of him," Luxord said uninterestedly, gesturing with a slitting motion across his neck.

"He's just going to dump him somewhere, that doesn't mean he'll kill him," Riku corrected, knowing Luxord was just trying to scare Demyx.

"Aw, poor hostage," Demyx said with a moment of sadness which he quickly shook off, "Oh by the way Riku, Sora came down a little while ago. He was looking for you."

Riku hurried upstairs, it was the first time Sora had moved in days and he thought it ironic it was also the first time he'd left in the time. He was just where he'd left him, in bed and staring out the window though he quickly sat up when he heard the door open, "Hey. Demyx said you came downstairs while we were gone."

Sora looked better than he had over the past few days and he nodded, "Yeah, I needed to ask you something." Riku was listening and Sora felt a little hesitant now, "…Will you to make me disappear?"

That was definitely a shocker and Riku shut the door before asking, "Why?"

"I can't face Roxas again," Sora said, obviously he'd thought about this long and hard, "…I've got nothing left to lose, and the world wouldn't miss me."

"It'll take a few hours but consider it done," Riku assured him. Sora had made a decision they all had to eventually, whether willingly or by force. Sooner or later they severed all ties with their family and people they knew, becoming shadows in society as soon as their records were erased.

"Thank you…" Sora said with a shaky sigh, finally accepting the fact he was what he was.

"This means you'll have to stop seeing so many clients," Riku said shortly, just making sure he knew what he was doing. Sora knew that was coming and he nodded, not liking the topic though, "…Riku, I'm sorry about that…I really am… But I had to do it."

When Sora said that Riku actually believed he had no other choice, but before he could ask why the door flew open and hit him in the back of the head. "Ah! Riku are you okay?" Sora quickly asked, getting out of bed and hurrying over to him. He froze halfway though when he saw who had opened the door, "…Roxas?"

Roxas ran up to him and threw his arms around him, "You're okay," he sounded relieved, scared, mad, and miserable all at once and Sora realized just how much he'd worried him.

Demyx and Luxord also came running in after him and they quickly explained, "We tried to stop him, but by the time we realized he was here he was already upstairs!" Demyx said, sounding out of breath and going to pull Roxas off of Sora but Luxord stopped him by putting his arm out. He and Riku knew this was Sora's brother and for now posed no threat, but one thing was for sure, "I think it's time you explained, Sora," Riku said, his head still sore from the blow to the head but that was not enough to stop him, "Everything."

* * *

To say the least Roxas felt out of place as he sat under the stares of the 6 people, one of which was glaring at him and holding an icepack against his head. Axel had regained consciousness but was anything but happy, made clear when he had to be held back by Xigbar. Luxord was the last to arrive, with the evening approaching the usual crowds of people were on their way and he had to call in the bouncers early to possibly pose a late opening, "So what are we going to do about him?" he asked, looking at Roxas as if he were an object.

"I've got a few things I'd like to do to him," Axel grumbled and Xigbar put a hand on his shoulder to remind him not to do anything brash. Roxas was genuinely afraid of him but Sora took hold of his hand under the table, "None of which you'll be doing."

"He's seen too much," Demyx reminded him but Riku pointed out the important thing, "He's seen but he doesn't understand."

"Regardless. You don't have to understand something to go to the public with it," Luxord said. Roxas knew he was in trouble and had no idea what was going on, "I just want Sora back," he said, maintaining a firmness in his voice.

"You can't have back what isn't yours," Axel said sharply. Roxas was confused and Axel was just mad enough to rub it all in his face, "Your brother belongs with us. Hell, you never even should've known he existed! If you hadn't been born we wouldn't have all these problems."

"Axel," Riku tried to warn him to be quiet but it was too late, Axel was on a tangent now.

The words hit hard and Roxas was disturbed, "…What are you talking about?"

Axel sneered and put his icepack on the table, looking at Sora mockingly, "Why don't you tell him? He won't make it out alive to tell anyone anyway."

Riku stood up and glared across the table at him, Axel was treading on a serious matter with deliberate carelessness, "That's enough Axel," when Axel got mad the sins had the sense to be quiet and stay out of the way until he calmed down; Axel was Wrath for a reason.

"You said it yourself, he's seen too much," Axel cruelly reminded him, "Just because you're screwing his brother doesn't mean we can let him go."

"You didn't seem to think that way back in the case of your fiancé," it was a low blow and the others knew there was trouble now.

Axel was furious and he stood up as well, "She was only sleeping with one other man though. Your little slut has been with, how many now?"

"Not as many as you I'm sure," that was it and Axel lunged across the table, Xigbar grabbing him quickly though and pushing him back into his chair, "Knock it off, both of you!" he snarled and Riku sat back down, clearly though he wouldn't have minded punching Axel in the face.

When Axel seemed to have calmed down enough Xigbar let go of him and recomposed the situation, "Thanks to you idiots, the kid now knows even more. So lets decided now, what are we going to do."

"You can't kill him," Sora insisted, tightening his grip on Roxas' hand. He could stand the insults but he wouldn't let them hurt his brother.

"What else can we do then?" Demyx asked, looking around the group for any suggestions.

"What are you people?"

Everyone looked back to Roxas when he asked the question. He'd just effectively sealed his fate and even Sora knew it, letting go of his hand and looking to the table. Xigbar stood and left the table, reaching behind the bar and bringing a handgun out from hiding. Roxas saw it out of the corner of his eye and panicked, grabbing Sora's arm and holding close to him.

"Isn't there something he can do? Anything?!" Sora pleaded, looking to everyone for some kind of sympathy.

"Our existence isn't one that anybody can know of," Zexion said solemnly, looking away from the situation and feeling uneasy.

Sora refused to let go of his brother though, "…Let him work here." There was no response and Sora quickly continued, "Keep him on a leash if you must, but you can trust him, he's a good person!"

"We can't trust anyone," Xigbar reminded him.

"He's practically one of us though!" Sora insisted, "Don't you remember? None of you knew which one of us was-"

"Enough, just kill him or don't," Axel was tired of all this, his head hurt and he wasn't in a good mood.

"He could have just as easily been Envy as me!" Sora silenced the room for several minutes and Roxas was more confused that ever, "…He's technically the next one it would fall to if I died." He was on the winning side and he let go of Roxas, snatching the gun from Xigbar, "You think I'm wrong? Let's find out."

As soon as he grabbed the gun everyone moved to stop him, Luxord quickly restraining him, "Cool it, blowing your brains out isn't going to make anything but a mess," he ordered while Riku pried the gun out of Sora's hand.

Sora just stared at him for a limitless period of time and Riku saw it all in his eyes. There was no way they could kill Roxas, "We'll let the boy work here…"

Sora looked overjoyed but the others were shocked, Demyx speaking up first, "But he's…he's not one of us!"

"Sora's right, his brother would be next in line if anything happened to him. If we let this kid run free or if we kill him it would put us all at risk," Riku said, staring Roxas down until the blonde looked away, "Besides, suppose one of our enemies got a hold of him? We know where the old Envy's loyalties were in situations of kin, and with a relative still alive it could very well be like father like son."

There was a long silence and the sins exchanged looks. As soon as Luxord let go of Sora he hurried back over to Roxas, ready to protect him. "Sora…what are they talking about?" Roxas didn't understand at all and he didn't feel like he even knew his brother anymore.

"Are there any objections?" Riku ignored Roxas and after several moments of nothing it was decided, "Looks like we've got a new houseguest."

"A house pet more like it," Axel said, a bit of a snide smirk on his face.

Roxas couldn't take it anymore. He no longer had a sense of what was normal and listening to these people discuss his fate so carelessly made him feel worse, "What's going on?!!!"

His shout left them all in shock but Sora was the only one that actually felt bad for him, "…We do owe him an explanation."

Axel couldn't help but laugh a bit and shake his head, "Great…This is the second time we've had to explain this in a decade."

* * *

GAHAHAH!!! ...Axel kissed him...Sorry, I still can't get over that part.

So Roxas is going to be a house guest (or a house pet) of the sins…wonder how that'll go over. Oh wait! I already know! Wahaha, it's so delightful knowing what's going to happen. Anyways, I won't taunt you because that's mean, but I would like to know what you thought of this chapter. Anything big jump out at you? Favorite parts or lines? I just like to hear opinions so please let me know.

Oh yeah, so does everyone have a good idea of who is what in this story? It's already been said that Axel is Wrath, Sora is Envy, and that Demyx is Lust; but there are still four others that haven't been named. There have been hints in these two chapters but I'm just wondering if anyone knows who is what. The remaining four are Pride, Gluttony, Greed, and Sloth, so try and match them up. I'll go ahead and post the complete list of correct matches in the next chapter, but until then I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	3. Sinful Truths

**LONG CHAPTER!! WOO!...**Wow things have been crazy lately and I'm so horribly stressed, but rather than complain I'll just warn you there will probably be a delayed update, which leads to my apology for this delayed update. Things have been beyond difficult and I haven't had time for much of anything, more so now with the Christmas break fast approaching. Ah well, I truly am sorry for not updating for so long and I promise to work as quickly as I can to bring you another chapter. You're all wonderful and I thank you for the reviews, they really are helping me. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Sinful Truths**

"What are you people?"

"We're not people."

Roxas listened intently as he sat on the bed in a room above the nightclub. Sora was right by his side and Riku was sitting on the window ledge across the room, the other sins had left to run the club downstairs. They couldn't keep the doors closed forever and as soon as the decision about Roxas had been made everyone had work to do, whether it was scouting the streets for targets or running the club. Sora however refused to leave Roxas, and since he himself wasn't exactly an expert on their existence Riku had opted to explain, "We were at one point in time but people used us as experiments and changed us to the very core. Now we aren't entirely sure what we are."

"Wait, back up. Experiments?" he knew for a fact his brother had never been a lab rat for anything, and his exposure to science was limited to the required biology course in high school.

Riku nodded, knowing what Roxas was thinking without having to ask, "Your brother is a different case…I'll explain that later. Yes, we were experiments, tricked into the process by some underhanded means over the last two centuries."

"Two hundred years? That's impossible," what little belief Roxas had now vanished, his logic holding firm, "The average human lifespan is only 80 years."

"The average human," Riku couldn't help but laugh, "How old do you think I am?"

Roxas ventured a guess, wondering what kind of sick person he was, "…19?"

"Close. 138," Riku corrected him with a bit of a grin.

Roxas was in genuine disbelief, "How?!"

"We haven't aged a day since the experiment," Riku admitted and Sora smiled a bit. It was rather funny that there was a 120 year age difference in their relationship, "You brother, again, is a different case. He hasn't and won't age a day since we showed him what he was two years ago."

It seemed like Sora was being alienated from the already odd looking group, "What makes Sora different from the rest of you?"

"I can take this one," Sora said with a sigh, knowing he had a duty to help explain, "…I was born a sin, unlike the others who were made into them."

"We're twins though, why are you…this?" Roxas couldn't think of a word for it.

"Yes we're twins, genetically the same but…well you resulted from an affair mum was having," Sora said it and Roxas looked like he'd been smacked in the face, "It defies logic, but then again so does our existence."

Roxas was still confused so Riku put it in more plain and blunt terms, "Sex with both guys in the same night, pregnant from both. Twins from different fathers…pretty interesting isn't it?" Roxas couldn't speak; his entire concept of family was only being further torn apart.

"They both left before we were born though. Mine was killed and yours flew the coop when he found out about you," Sora tried to be gentle in saying it though it had been hard for him to accept back when the sins confronted him too.

Riku could tell that Roxas wouldn't shake this easily, so to help the process he continued to explain, "As for the rest of us, we were the results of people trying to contain sin and personify it to a pure extent in the form of a human…They should've known better than to tamper with something like that, but they didn't think about what could go wrong. Ignorance is bliss, right?...Anyways, the long and short of it all is that different parts of the world were assigned different sins and a group of scientists went there to find a subject and carry out the experiment."

"…Why do you exist?" it was a question neither of the sins expected and Roxas genuinely wanted to know an answer. Sora couldn't even begin to reply to that and he looked to Riku for an answer as well.

He smiled a little and thought for several minutes before answering, "…We all have different wants and desires, but our main purpose is to spot sins that interfere with the balance of society and snub it out by any means necessary…There's one other goal we all share but that's none of your business, nor will it ever be."

Roxas felt like he was being left out of something that even Sora wouldn't tell him, though he was sure he'd find out by some means eventually, "So now that you've explained what you are, how about answering who you are?"

"I'm Pride, Riku Mercutio," he said, nodding his head to acknowledge him, "And your brother is Envy."

Roxas had so many more questions and however vague the answers may be he wanted to hear them. However the door to the room suddenly opened and the redhead Roxas was familiar with appeared in the doorway, "Yo! Sora we've got some people downstairs asking for you."

Everyone knew what Axel was talking about, even Roxas, and Riku stood up to leave in an attempt to avoid this situation entirely. "Tell them I'm out of the business," Sora said, surprising everyone.

When Roxas saw the look Riku gave his brother his intuition took over and he knew what was going on between them, having to cover his mouth in utter shock. Axel had mentioned it downstairs during the fight between him and Riku but Roxas had been too scared and confused to do anything about it then. "You still owe me an explanation," Riku said, recalling what Sora had said earlier right before Roxas interrupted them.

Sora nodded, heaving a sigh and looking to his brother for a moment before saying, "Axel, would you show him the building please?"

"You mean I get to have some alone time with our new houseguest? Goodie goodie," he said in a way that made Roxas want anything but to go with him. However, he saw the look in his brother's eyes and understood he needed time alone with what Roxas knew was someone close to him. Reluctantly he stood up and headed for the door, looking to Riku and saying, "…Thank you for explaining," and with that he stepped past Axel and out into the hall.

Before Axel could follow what he obviously considered his prey Riku gave him a threatening look, "If that boy comes back with so much as one scratch on him-"

"Chill," Axel said with a laugh, waving him off idly, "I'm not going to mess up our new maid. Besides, I'm looking forward to getting to know him," as soon as he shut the door Sora began to worry about letting Roxas go with him but he knew Axel wasn't stupid enough to do something to his brother with hundreds of people downstairs, besides he needed to talk to Riku. Since it was obvious he didn't know where to start Riku came over and sat down on the trunk at the foot of the bed, facing him, "So, you 'had to'… explain," he said, reminding him of what he'd said earlier.

"It's a long story," Sora warned but Riku just shrugged, "I've got all night." Sora again felt a bit lost in how to begin, shifting his weight and fiddling with the sheets in his fingers, "At mum's funeral I ran into dad…Roxas' dad. He knew money would be an issue, even with Roxas' college taken care of so he offered me a job." He waited for Riku to say something but he seemed content to listen so after an awkward silence he continued, "I didn't know at the time what I was getting in to and he convinced me to meet with a friend of his that night for an interview…Some interview."

"Wait, he raped you and you didn't tell me?" Riku wasn't going to listen after that, his temper flaring.

Sora quickly shook his head though, "No, no, no I…We talked about it and made a deal." That didn't make Riku any happier though and he had to get up and walk away for a few minutes. Sora couldn't blame him but he continued to speak, "One client could usually keep us financially set for a couple weeks." He was still mad and Sora tried to convince him it wasn't as bad as it sounded, "It's only been 5 people Riku, and I know that's 5 more than it should ever have been but-"

"You had to do it," when Riku cut him off Sora was genuinely surprised even though he still sounded beyond mad, "It was a selfless, though stupid, way to take care of someone you love. I'm still pissed beyond pissed about it, but it's not nearly as bad as it was over the past week."

"I couldn't tell you," Sora insisted, the shame was too much and he looked down at the blankets he'd been fumbling with, "…And I'm not asking you to forgive me."

"And I won't," hearing that made Sora feel worse and after taking a few minutes of silence he needed to calm down Riku turned away from the window and returned to the bed, sitting down beside him, "But I will accept an apology and let you start over with a clean slate."

Sora felt a horrible lump forming in his throat quickly and he nearly cried, feeling absolutely horrible about all of this. He loved him, he really did, "Thank you…" he was being given a second chance he didn't deserve and he leaned over to hold onto him, hiding his face in his shoulder comfortably.

Riku had a bit of a wicked grin on his face that Sora didn't see but heard in his voice, "Don't thank me yet. You have to make up for those 5 people you mentioned."

Sora laughed a little but knew he wasn't kidding, "If Roxas walks in on us I swear I'll-" he didn't get to finish his threat but he couldn't care less.

* * *

There was no way Roxas could walk in on them, Axel making sure to keep a short leash on him, literally. Almost as soon as they were out of the room Axel snapped a leash onto his shirt collar, claiming it was for his own protection, "You don't know what kind of creeps we get in here. Cute little blondes don't last long if they're not attached to someone."

Roxas disapproved but after seeing the crowd of people downstairs he knew Axel was right and made sure to stay close. Fortunately, or maybe not, Axel kept him upstairs in the more valued visitors section, sitting him down on the couch beside him and pulling him close to with the leash, "So, what did you hit me with?" Axel asked as he comfortably put his arm over Roxas' shoulders. Roxas didn't answer, staring straight ahead and ignoring Axel entirely. "Hey!" his bark scared Roxas into jumping and looking at him, Axel seeming satisfied with the fear, "I asked you a question."

"A shoe," he kept his response short, looking away and tuning Axel out behind the loud music, "And I should have hit you twice as hard."

"Why are you being so mean?" Axel had to ask, though clearly not bothered by his comment. Roxas ignored him, wishing his brother would finish already so he could go back to someone he actually trusted. "Is it because I kissed you or because I tried to kill you?" Roxas still ignored him, not able to keep up the stone face when Axel discretely leaned over and kissed his neck, whispering with a clear hint of spite, "Should I guess?"

"Get off of me," Roxas said, not wanting to cause a scene, but when the kisses continued and got more violent he was ready to scream.

"Axel none of that!"

Roxas looked up at the grinning blonde sin, his name was Demyx or something like that but regardless of his name Roxas was grateful to him for making Axel get stop, "Kill all the fun don't you Demyx?" Demyx just nodded and took Roxas' wrists, pulling him to his feet and leading him away. Axel didn't budge, watching them leave with the same grin and calling after him, "See you later Roxas."

Roxas wanted to turn and glare but he kept his head level and unhooked the leash from his shirt, "Thank you."

"No problem," Demyx said as he led him downstairs to the main level, "Axel's someone you'll have to watch out. If he wants something he'll find a way to get it, and lust interests are no exception to that."

Roxas swallowed a lump in his throat uncomfortably, he'd use that advice as best he could, "Wait, isn't he Wrath though?"

"He is. I'm the Lust of the group," Demyx said. The look of surprise on Roxas' face made Demyx laugh, "I know, bet you never would've guessed that one huh?" Roxas said nothing, staying close to Demyx and looking around the night club alive with all sorts of people. Lost in his observations he didn't even notice the bar in the center of the room until he walked into it. Demyx laughed as he climbed over the counter and Roxas rubbed his sore stomach.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you were dancing tonight." Roxas recognized the other man behind the bar, one eye patched over and his hair streaked with gray. He was another sin but Roxas hadn't really met him yet.

"I was heading upstairs to change clothes and saw Axel and our new guest getting a little naughty so I figured I'd break it up," Demyx explained though the way he said it made Roxas sound like he'd encouraged Axel and his actions which was anything but true, "Mind if I leave him back here with you?"

"Why don't you leave him with his brother? That's the only reason he's here anyway," the other said, grabbing a glass and putting it on the counter before taking several bottles of odd shapes, mixing different levels of them together in the one glass.

"Because he's _busy_ with someone else," Demyx said with an obvious hint of what busy meant. When he heard that Roxas realized that he could trust Axel more than he could trust Demyx. He knew nothing about what happened between him and Axel and even less about Sora and Riku, he didn't even know they were together. He was a gossip, and a sneaky and believable one at that.

Xigbar laughed a bit before handing Demyx the drink, "Interesting. Wonder which one caved first."

"Sora ofcourse," Demyx said before taking a sip of the drink, "He was in tears when I saw him. Guess Riku couldn't stay mad after seeing the mess he was on the floor, poor guy."

"That's not true," Roxas said and the two sins immediately stopped laughing, looking at Roxas until he cut his eyes away.

After a long silence Demyx cleared his throat and set his glass down, "I'm going to go get changed, we'll talk in private later. You and me tonight, right Xigbar?"

It was then that Roxas could see just how Demyx was Lust and he kept his eyes cut away. "Keep that costume on after closing and we'll see," Xigbar said with a bit of a laugh, "Scat. I'll watch the kid."

'The kid' was Roxas and he knew that, wondering if anyone actually knew his name. "Hey kid." Apparently Xigbar didn't. "Get back here if you don't want the drunks and weird people to 'accidentally' feel you up." Roxas would rather not even be here, honestly just wanting to go home to a familiar bed and sleep since he could feel the exhaustion weighing his eyes down. He didn't have much choice at the moment though and he didn't want to get 'accidentally' anything, traveling around to the side of the bar and lifting the flap door to get in. On the other side of the shelves in the center of the bar he saw another sin, this one he knew was called Luxord, performing an interesting trick with three glasses and a cherry for the attentively watching drunkards and partiers. He was very quick with his hands and Roxas couldn't figure out how he did it.

"So kid, do you want a drink or what?" those were Xigbar's famous last words and the next thing Roxas knew everything was black.

* * *

"You lost him?!" Sora didn't know what think, how could he have trusted Axel with his brother?!

"Calm down, I'm sure he's around here…somewhere," hearing Xigbar's lack of confidence only made Sora feel worse and he slumped down onto a barstool.

"We'll find him don't worry," Demyx said while putting an arm around Sora to comfort him. Sora blamed him just as much he blamed Xigbar and Axel because he was foolish enough to trust Xigbar with Roxas.

The door leading into the club opened and in came Zexion, wet from the rainy weather, "Nobody on the streets has seen him," Zexion announced as he shook his hair dry.

"Great, he got loose," Xigbar said, drumming his fingers on the wall and clearly in a foul mood, "We never should've trusted that kid."

"What are we going to do?" Demyx asked, "We can't just let him wander around. I mean he knows our secret…And if anyone were to find out about us…"

"We have to stop him at any cost," Riku said solemnly and they all knew it was true, not even Sora could disagree with the matter. He just stared at the bar and told himself it had to be done. If they were found out there would be at the very least utter havoc but what he didn't understand was why Roxas had fled. He was going to be safe and taken care of here; he had no reason to run.

"Demyx, go get Axel," Luxord said with a heavy sigh, not looking forward to the day of searching ahead of them, "We're going to need everyone." As the others prepared themselves Demyx hurried up the stairs and down the hall, humming to himself as he opened the door to Axel's room without bothering to knock as he was so sure Axel would be sleeping soundly since it was only noon. The sight he saw though was enough to make him freeze for several seconds then scream shrilly.

Roxas was quickly awoken by the scream and he groggily opened his eyes, his head throbbing and the loud scream wasn't helping, "Be quiet," he grumbled, burying his face back into the pillow he was hugging to his head. When his pillow moved though he thought that was odd and when it spoke he knew something was wrong, "You're one to talk. You're the noisiest lover I've had."

Roxas' eyes shot wide open and he looked down at the bare chest he had his arms wrapped around, following the scars up the shoulder and staring Axel in the face; the redhead still lying comfortably with his eyes shut and a slight smirk on his face. This time it was Roxas' turn to scream and he tried to sit up but the fierce pain in his backside quickly made him hiss with pain and hold tightly back to Axel.

By then the rest of the sins had made it upstairs to see what all the screaming was for and the sight they saw caused several different reactions. Some of shock, some of relief, some of disgust, but all were speechless. Axel casually rubbed his temple with two fingers, "Less screaming please, it's too early."

"I'm going to be sick…" Roxas said, actually sounding like his stomach was going to take a turn for the worse as he rolled away from Axel. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened and the realization made Roxas' hung over state even worse. Even with his back turned to them he could feel everyone staring and it only made him feel worse, "…Oh my god."

"Sorry kid, god isn't going to help you out of this one," Xigbar said, laughing a bit despite the awkwardness of it all. It wasn't until Sora fainted that the silence broke, everyone swooping down on him to make sure he was okay. The last thing they needed was more chaos and Riku quickly shooed them out except for Zexion, whom he put in charge of Roxas.

"Axel what the hell have you done," this was bad on so many different levels and Riku couldn't even begin to explain the seriousness of it. He picked Sora up and carried him over to a chair by the window, opening it and setting him down carefully.

"Hey, he started it," Axel said as he pointed over at Roxas, the blonde still shaking and Zexion quickly returned to him with a glass of some gray liquid.

Roxas couldn't remember how it happened and the whole event was one big blur that made his head hurt, "I…" he couldn't even put together a sentence, too stunned and disgusted to say anything.

Zexion put a hand on his shoulder and helped him to sit up, "Calm down…Here, drink this," he said while holding the glass out to him.

Roxas wasn't going to drink anything else from these people, his head still swirling from last night and he looked over at Axel with a mortified stare. Axel merely smirked and shook his head before getting out of bed and grabbing the pants on the floor, "It's your fault kid. Thanks for the good time though," his casual nature about the whole thing made Roxas' blood boil and he glared after him with hatred in his eyes until the door shut him out.

"We'll deal with him later. Right now just drink," Zexion said, pushing the glass into Roxas' hands to make him take it. He only stared at the thick gray water which smelt oddly of licorice and looked like something that clogged a sink. "It's a cure for the dreaded 'morning after' which includes hangovers, head pains, and…pains elsewhere," Zexion tried to be discreet about it since Roxas was obviously embarrassed enough already.

Roxas understood but he didn't trust the drink so Zexion took it back and set it on the messy bedside table with a sigh. Riku returned from the bathroom with a wet washcloth which he folded up and put on Sora's forehead before addressing the other issue in the room, "Is what he said true? Did you start this?"

He tried to remember last night, recalling clearly how he'd been dumped onto Xigbar by Demyx after he'd saved him from Axel. Then he accepted a drink…and another…and he didn't know how many after that, "…I…I came back upstairs to sleep and I guess I went in the wrong door," it was coming back to him now and he knew it was true. He remembered Axel telling him to scram because he was busy, and then, "…I kissed him…Oh god it is my fault."

Zexion and Riku exchanged looks of disapproval but Zexion seemed more sympathetic than Riku as he tried to comfort him, "Yes, but Axel isn't dumb. He's stupid, but he's not dumb and I'm sure he knew you were drunk. He holds some of the fault too."

Roxas knew that was true but he still felt awful for so many reasons. He'd had a few drinks before but only two glasses of wine at new years; never had he been so intoxicated in his life. He was a mess and didn't even know where his clothes were. Worst of all was the fact that his first time with anyone, man or woman, was nothing more than a drunken blur with someone he didn't even know.

"Roxas."

Sora was starting to wake up and he wasn't happy to see his brother sitting in bed, his naked upper half sitting up out of the sheets. Roxas couldn't look him in the face, staring down at his hands which like the rest of his body were sore and sticky. Sora didn't even know what to say to him and he hung his head, "…What do we do about this?"

"Well for starters he's made a great first impression with everyone," Riku said sarcastically, this whole thing getting on his nerves, "…Hope you enjoyed your time with Axel. You're going to be stuck with him for the rest of your life."

Zexion and Sora were just as confused as Roxas, "What do you mean?"

"Axel claimed responsibility for you whether he realized it or not. You have to be kept under watch by one of us at all times since we can't exactly trust you, and since Axel's made it clear he's the closest to you, even if it is physically, you're his priority now," Riku said, wondering how Axel would take the news.

"Wait what about Sora? He's my brother he-"

"Roxas he's right," Sora stopped him with a sigh as he took the washcloth off of his forehead, "…When you consider your relationships with the sins Axel is the closest to you. Besides, if you ask me this will teach both of you a lesson," with that said he stood up but swayed a little unsteadily until Riku put a hand on his shoulder and led him out of the room, looking back to Zexion, "Let's go. Leave him alone for a while." Zexion nodded and gave Roxas one last look before obeying and following the other two out.

* * *

"He's all yours."

Axel nearly fell off the barstool when he heard that, quickly turning on Sora, "What?"

"You're responsible for him," Sora said disapprovingly, "And you'd better take care of him."

"You're kidding," Axel couldn't help but laugh a bit but when he realized he was serious his mood changed to a grim one, "…You're not kidding."

"You made it quite clear you wanted him," Riku always found Axel's expression entertaining, enjoying watching the redhead slapped in the face with the truth, "Looks like you get your way."

Axel wanted to say something, that was obvious, but he honestly couldn't bring himself to do so. After glaring from one of them to the other he muttered a swear before getting up and storming over to the stairs, brushing past Riku and intentionally bumping into him. Riku only grinned and brushed his shoulder off; he couldn't help but find amusement in this whole situation, "This should put Axel in his place."

"Might knock Roxas down a few notches too," Sora wasn't sharing in the enjoyment because one: his brother had abandoned all his morals in one night, and two: unlike Riku he didn't have a personal vendetta with Axel that went far beyond the point of reasoning, "As long as they don't kill each other in the process."

"Don't get my hopes up," Riku said just as they heard the door upstairs slam. Sora laughed a little and hugged him tightly, glad things were back to the way they were supposed to be between them. That brief moment of content didn't last long, interrupted when Luxord came running upstairs looking ruffled which was definitely not normal for him, "You need to come see this."

* * *

"…_Hope you enjoyed your time with Axel. You're going to be stuck with him for the rest of your life."_

Roxas had no intention of staying here for the rest of his life. He was going to get out of here the first chance he saw and find someone to help him get rid of these people. No, they weren't people, he didn't even know what to call them other than insane. These past two days had been utter hell and he had to get away. He was alone now, Sora wouldn't help him escape and he knew that for a fact; Sora wasn't the person he thought he was and he certainly wasn't his brother anymore.

The window. Now was his chance to escape with not a soul in sight but when he tried to get out of bed he felt a sharp and intense pain shoot through his body that made him cringe and sit back. _'Damn…Roxas you're such an idiot,'_ he cursed himself, not realizing he was crying until a tear hit his hand. How could he have been so stupid? So reckless? So filthy? His body ached from actions he could barely remember but what he did remember only made him feel worse.

He heard a door in the hall slam shut and it made him flinch; someone was coming. Roxas quickly wiped away his tears and tried to recompose himself just as the door to the room opened and he looked over at a clearly miffed Axel. He was the absolute last person Roxas wanted to see and he returned the glare he was receiving with equal dislike.

Based on the look he was getting Axel didn't have to ask, "Heard the news have you?" Roxas didn't do angry well, Axel was a master though and could see he was trying and failing. He wasn't going to stand for that though and he crossed over to the bed, Roxas' mask of anger cracking into fear when Axel grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled his face up to his, "Then listen up. You cause any trouble for me and you'll regret it. I'm going to be watching you but that doesn't mean I'm going to do anything for you, in fact it'll be the other way around."

Roxas said nothing, nor did he look away from the cruel eyes. It wasn't until Axel's mouth came against his with a rough kiss that Roxas even blinked, remembering his hatred and shoving him away before smacking him hard across the face. Axel let go of Roxas' hair and grinned, "…You're just asking for trouble kid." Axel did nothing more though, instead going over to the dresser and pulling out a shirt to wear, "Go shower, and then clean up this place." When Roxas didn't move Axel turned on him and snapped in a tone that made Roxas cringe, "I said go!"

Roxas looked away and grumbled something inaudible under his breath, too embarrassed and disgusted to tell him he couldn't. Axel wasn't oblivious to that fact though, especially since he saw the gray drink still untouched and he sighed with annoyance before going back over to the bed and picking Roxas up. He protested with a short pained yelp as Axel threw him over his shoulder, sheets and all, and carried him over to the open bathroom door. Roxas looked over his shoulder to see where they were going and Axel dropped him in the empty bathtub before turning the shower on.

It was freezing and Roxas cried in shock, hugging his arms and hunching into a tight ball with his face hidden in his knees. In a few minutes it had warmed up but Roxas was still cold, shrugging off the wet sheets which were still holding in cold water. He looked around and saw Axel was gone which made him feel a little better but not by much. He sighed and sat back against the cold wall of the tub and stared up at the ceiling; even though the sweat and semen were being washed away his disgust wasn't.

* * *

"It's pretty bad," Luxord explained vaguely as he fiddled away on the computer, the image on the screen enlarged and projected onto the large screen on the wall. There were several windows open, one an email from a familiar address, numerous images and a video that had been paused, "The tap on the English clergy revealed this message just this past hour," Luxord said as he enlarged the email so they could read it.

_Yet another victim was found this morning with the same inscription down their spine as the other five: 'Where are the holy virtues?' Like previous victims this mornings discovered all underwent autopsies that revealed their hearts were gone despite the fact their bodies had no physical damage._

"Where are the seven holy virtues?" Sora read again, somewhat familiar with these recent murders but he was unaware of this detail, "It's unusual enough that their hearts are gone, but the killer leaving a note? That's bold."

"Murders aren't bold, they are either brilliant or foolish and the way their carried out determines that," Luxord said as he shifted window to a picture attached to the email, "And this one screams foolishness."

Sora didn't understand, it looked like such a perfect crime, "But there weren't any clues left behind and the only scars on the victims were-"

"The words on their back," Riku finished, "That's what makes this irrational."

Luxord nodded before explaining as he took out a cigarette, "The fact there wasn't any physical damage means one thing: we aren't dealing with any mortal," he said as he struck a light and lit the tip, taking a long drag of nicotine smoke before exhaling with as heavy sigh.

"And the mentioning of the seven holy virtues only solidifies that," Riku added.

Sora was confused though, not sure what that meant, "The seven holy virtues?"

That was going to be a long explanation and there was no sense in saying it more than once, "Go get the others. We're going to have to do something about this killer since he obviously wants something of us," Riku said. Sora hesitated to go, instead looking at the picture on the screen for a few moments longer before nodding and heading upstairs. As soon as he was gone Riku took the packet of cigarettes from Luxord and took one out for himself.

Luxord couldn't help but chuckle and take out his lighter, "Thought you were going to try and quit smoking."

"Sora wanted me to but that's not going to happen," Riku said as he lit the cigarette and brought it to his lips, "Beside, it's not like they're bad for us." It was true. With their immortality they soon discovered they were immune to everything save for the common cold. Even though cigarettes didn't do any damage to their lungs or appearance it was something Sora frowned on and Riku enjoyed, making compromise interesting.

Luxord laughed again and flipped screens again, "Take a look at this." It was another picture of another victim in the same position so the inscription on their back could be seen.

"Where are the seven holy virtues…Quite a question isn't it?" Riku said but then he noticed the same thing Luxord had about the two pictures, "That's a different killer."

"Uh huh," Luxord nodded, "The handwriting may be identical but looking closer you'll notice that some of the messages begin at the base of the victim's spine and trail all the way up to the top of the neck. This one, however, begins at the base of the spine and stops just short of the neck. A careless mistake the killer made in the rush? Not a chance. We're dealing with someone too smart for that."

"It's a joint operation," Riku summarized, finding this a very strange fact, "…I think it's time to go to London."

"Road trip!" Luxord cheered with false enthusiasm as he put his feet up on the desk and slouched back in the chair, "Wake me when it's over."

* * *

Hm…So, wonder what's going to happen between Axel and Roxas now? Somehow between the introduction notes and now I had a great idea about their relationship and will probably be up for the next several hours developing it. It pleases me greatly but that may only because I'm twisted like that, kehehe…I haven't slept in a while, pardon me if I seem a bit odd because honestly I'm just writing whatever runs through my head in these little notes. Oh, and I said in the last closing notes that I was going to post who was what!

Axel is Wrath

Riku is Pride

Sora is Envy

Luxord is Greed

Xigbar is Gluttony

Demyx is Lust

Zexion is Sloth

Hoorah for those of you who guessed right! Oh, and there's a fun little thing I'm doing in this story I thought I'd mention now. It's nothing important and holds no value to the story but I liked it. All of the sins have the last names of Shakespearian characters that I could see them playing. In my other stories (Pirates and Circus) Riku's last name is always Mercutio if you've noticed and it fits, so this time they all have last names like that! I'll mention them throughout the story and see if you can spot them. **Hint: **Roxas' (which is also Sora's) was mentioned in the last chapter.

Well I'm off now to write until my fingers go numb or my mother catches me up at 5AM though both are unpleasant. In any case I thank you for reading and ask that you review and let me know what you thought. As always I wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	4. Sinful Needs

Finally I finished this chapter and the even more tedious process of editing! It's been a while and I apologize for the delay but life has been busier than usual. I won't rant about how things have been because there's no excuse. I thank you for your patience and I hope you forgive me for the wait. With the Christmas break underway though I'll be able to write and update more frequently so I'm aiming to have a new chapter up by Friday. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Sinful Needs**

"Wait, you're leaving?" Roxas couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You can't leave me here, not with these people."

"It won't be long Roxas," Sora assured him with a bit of a laugh in his voice, clearly in a good mood tonight, "Three of us are just going to go check out a problem in London."

"I don't care where it is, what am I supposed to do?" it had been a miserable day so far and just seemed to be getting worse. He'd been sitting on the stairs watching everyone get ready for the opening when Sora told him the news, "Wait…London? You're going all the way to London?"

"It's not that far," as uninterested as Sora tried to seem it was clear he was excited about the mission. The others had been on all sorts of missions all over the word and their stories about the trips made him want to go along, but due to inexperience the farthest he'd traveled was to Destiny Island which was only a few hours away by car.

Luxord had been wiping down the bar and eavesdropping the entire time, chuckling a bit in his throat and shaking his head, "Who said you were going Sora?" Both brothers were surprised to hear that and Luxord loved seeing the crushed look on Sora's face, "You don't have enough experience yet. There's no way you're coming with us."

"But…It's been 2 years, I know what to do," Sora protested, sick of being treated like new blood, "Use this mission as a test, I'll prove I'm ready."

Riku was on Luxord's side of the argument he'd been following from upstairs where he was reading on a couch in the VIP section, "We don't even know what we're dealing with, let alone the risk level of the mission. You're not coming and that's that."

"That isn't fair though! I've worked hard and I've learned a lot. How much longer until I'm taken seriously?" Sora asked, looking from Luxord to Riku and obviously flustered.

"Luxord," Riku called, "How many years have you been with us?"

"Since 1862, shortly after kind Otto was dethroned and replaced by prince Vilhelm William of Denmark, a.k.a. fat king George I. Just about 145 years, making me…172 now," he'd proved his point as one of the oldest members of the group though since he'd been subjected to the sin project when he was only 27 he hadn't aged one day.

"That's well over a hundred years experience he's got on you," Riku said with a grin, it was obvious Sora had been put in his place, "With a mission of unknown or serious rank we can't risk bringing you."

"Haha, sucks to be you," Axel taunted as he came into the VIP section upstairs, never passing up the chance to mock and taunt their newest sin.

As much as Axel loved to taunt Sora, Riku loved all the more to taunt Axel, "You're not going either Axel."

The look of shock and anger on his face made it quite clear he wasn't happy to hear that, "Oh yes I am."

"Not when you've got to keep an eye on Roxas," Riku reminded him and it was plain to see that Axel had nearly forgotten, "He's under your care now and since there's no way he'd even be allowed to ride along for a mission like this neither can you."

"You've got to be kidding me…" Axel was mad and Roxas could feel the look of hatred burning through him, well aware of the fact that now Axel would make this next week hell for him, "I'm on probation because of _him_?"

"Sorry," clearly he wasn't earnest in his apology since he said it still with a grin, "It's your fault though." Axel was about to say something which Sora was sure would lead to yet another fight between them so he quickly intervened, "Calm down you two," he said while hurrying upstairs and stepping between them, "Look, just because you're out on this one doesn't mean it'll be the same for other missions Axel. Besides you hate London. And Riku, don't antagonize someone because if you get into a fight we don't have the funds right now to repair the damage you two do to the building."

Since things had returned to normal between him and Riku, Sora was being his old self again and the other sins had taken notice though not all were ready to accept him back with open arms. Axel was definitely one of the ones not ready to make nice because he glared at him and stormed back down the hall to his room. As soon as he was gone Sora sighed and seemed to relax quite a lot, "I seriously thought he was going to hit me there for a second."

Despite the serious note of fear in Sora's voice Riku wasn't exactly sympathetic, shutting his book and shaking his head, "You shouldn't try and stand up to him ever. You've never seen him truly mad before and I'm sure he wouldn't hesitate to hit you if you try something stupid like that again."

"I was just trying to help," Sora insisted, wondering why he didn't agree with his actions, "I didn't know you wanted him to fight."

"Oh I don't, I really don't," Riku said, wondering how to say this so he'd understand, "It's just that Axel and I have an odd sort of relationship that I couldn't entirely explain to you even if you lived to Luxord's age."

There was no doubt it was true and though Sora didn't even know the basic reason for their fighting it didn't matter, "Whatever the reason I just don't want you to kill each other."

Roxas had been listening in and the conversation upstairs made him feel worse about the fact he pretty much owed his continued existence to someone like Axel. He was stuck with someone who was the personified sin of anger and he hoped he'd never have to see Axel 'truly mad' as Riku put it. All he had to do was lie low until he had the opportunity to escape, with or without Sora. The hangover had long since worn off and he'd vowed never to drink again, the ill feeling and his actions last night sealing the vow for him.

"When are we leaving?"

Roxas looked up from the floor and over at Zexion, who'd just come upstairs and spotted Luxord. He didn't know much about any of the sins but from what he could guess Zexion's sluggish and almost half asleep mannerisms made him sloth, "We'll have to wait for a few more hours until the sky gets darker," Luxord replied, finishing up at the bar and tossing the rag across his shoulder, "Do you have everything?"

Zexion nodded but Roxas couldn't help but wonder why he was going. He didn't seem like he was any more cutout for a mission than his brother, even though he'd probably had over a hundred years experience like the others. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a shout from upstairs, "Hey!" He looked back up the stairs and saw Axel standing at the top with his arms crossed, "Get up here."

Roxas considered just ignoring him, not fond of being treated like a dog, but he didn't want to see him get 'truly mad.' He got up and hurried up the stairs, glancing over at his brother as he passed through the VIP lounge. He and Riku seemed to be in the middle of some secretive conversation because they both paused and looked over when the other two passed by.

He was definitely still having trouble accepting the fact they were together, but Sora seemed happy so he tried to stay out of the matter. There was something about Riku though that Roxas didn't like and he couldn't put his finger on what it was. He snapped out of his judgments when he heard Axel whistle, "Come on," and like the lap dog he was forced to be Roxas obeyed and followed quickly to catch up.

When he made it back to his room he saw something on the bed that nearly made him turn and run, "You can't be serious…"

But Axel was serious and he gestured to the outfit with a wave of his hand, "If you're going to be a maid you're going to look like one."

Roxas just stared at the outfit, clearly meant to be worn by a girl and a tartly one at that, "You're sick," was all he said before heading for the door.

Axel was alarmingly quicker than him though and he put a hand on the shut door and stepped in front of it to make it clear he wasn't leaving, "Yes, yes I am. Now put it on." Roxas didn't budge, glaring at him and refusing to degrade himself to that level just to give him sick satisfaction. Axel smirked and narrowed his eyes, "You'd better start listening if you want to keep breathing. You belong to me in case you've forgotten." Roxas still didn't move but when Axel took a step toward him he took two steps back, "You can put it on or I can put it on you, your choice."

* * *

"She's all ready for the trip," Xigbar announced, patting the side of the airship proudly, "Just watch out for left thruster number 3, it's still not fit for anything heavy."

"Nothing heavy? Guess that means you can't come after all Luxord," Riku said with a bit of a laugh while Zexion snickered discreetly.

"The ship is a she? Guess that means you can't ride her after all Riku," Luxord won that match and even Riku laughed at that one. It was all in jest ofcourse and Luxord reached over and patted him on the back, "Kidding, kidding. So are we ready to go?"

"I think so, but are you sure we shouldn't bring Axel?" Zexion asked, clearly second guessing their group of three.

Luxord shook his head, "We can't have him bringing that boy along. He'd get in the way."

"It's getting late, you'd better get out now," Xigbar said, urging them on. He was also a candidate for this mission but there was only one issue and it was Xigbar's one weakness: airsickness. Minutes later the ship was on and the floor underneath it slid apart, leaving the airship to hover on its own. When the opening in the floor was large enough the ship disappeared through the hole and underground. Sure that they'd cleared the exit Xigbar flipped a switch on the electrical panel by the elevator and shut the hole. They couldn't exactly fly out of the building where the public could see and get suspicious, so there was a tunnel underground that traveled out past the city limits and came out through the mouth of a cave near the coast.

The elevator doors opened just as the panels were closing and Xigbar looked back only to see Sora rush in and when he saw the ship was gone already he sighed heavily and sat down on the ground, out of breath from rushing to get downstairs. "What's with you?" Xigbar asked, wondering what his hurry was.

"Guess what Zexion forgot," Sora panted, holding up the book in one hand.

Xigbar immediately recognized it and swore angrily, "How did he forget that? Honestly…Here, give it to me, I'll go mail it to the London base. He can pick it up when they get there," he said, holding out his hand and taking the thick book from him, "If that boy's head wasn't attached to his shoulders I bet he'd lose that too."

Sora laughed a bit and thanked him, "Thanks Xigbar," he was one of the sins Sora was back on a good page with and accepted Xigar's other hand he offered to help him up with. He watched him head for one of the motorcycles with the book in hand and Sora smirked when he saw he still hadn't noticed the letter addressed to Riku tucked into the front of the book. Pleased with his work he dusted himself off and took the elevator back upstairs. The club would be opening soon and he saw Demyx getting last minute cleanup done at the bar, as usual dressed in and odd costume meaning he'd be performing tonight. Sora could only imagine what sort of performance it would be since he was wearing a French maid outfit.

He wasn't going to ask about it but since he'd have to work the bar tonight on the count of Luxord's absence he figured he'd see it soon enough. It had been hours since he last saw Roxas though, remembering how he'd followed Axel back to his room, and he wondered if he was okay. When he got upstairs though and saw Axel lying on the couch in the VIP lounge casually reading Sora knew he'd done something, "Where is he?"

Axel grinned and looked up at him, "Who?"

Sora heard the door leading back to their rooms open and he looked over only to see Demyx come out dressed in a French maid outfit. But that couldn't be right; he'd just seen Demyx downstairs cleaning off the counter. Confused, Sora went over to the railing and looked back down at the bar and realized the blonde at the bar was not Demyx, "…What did you do to him?!"

Demyx started downstairs and saw Roxas as well but he was possibly more upset about it than Sora, "Roxas! Why didn't you tell me you were dressing as the maid tonight? Now I've got to change," he huffed, turning and storming back to his room.

"Don't bother Demyx, Roxas is changing now," Sora called after him, hurrying downstairs to save his brother from the horrible embarrassment. He didn't care if Axel was in charge of him, he was still family and that came before any ridiculous regulations.

* * *

"Thank you Sora," Roxas said once he'd changed into some of the clothes his brother had left upstairs. He didn't want to think about why Sora's clothes were in Riku's room, he was just grateful to be free from the costume.

Sora nodded and gathered up the costume, opening the door and leaving it out in the hall where it would stay, "You're staying with me tonight, don't worry."

That was a great relief to him since he couldn't imagine going back to Axel, never wanting to face him again, "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Ofcourse!" he assured him, shutting out the music that could be heard in the hall, "Riku's in London with the others and there's plenty of room for you. I can't stay much longer though, got to tend the bar tonight since Luxord is gone."

Roxas understood and nodded, he didn't mind being alone after the past few days he'd had, "I'll be fine."

"I know you will," Sora had already changed for work, but it was a uniform for more than one job obviously. He'd seen all the sins in something similar but each outfit was a different style so he assumed that this doubled as night club uniform and mission wear, "If you're hungry come find me. Don't accept drinks from strangers and if possible ignore them completely. Also-"

"Look both ways before crossing the street," Roxas cut him short, "You don't need to tell me things I already know."

Sora smiled a little and nodded, "Sorry…Guess I'm just worried." He had the right to be since Roxas' life still wasn't, nor would it ever be, safe again. Roxas already knew that though, he just didn't know how severe the matter was since he'd convinced himself he'd get away somehow. Sora finished getting ready and came over to sit down on the bed beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders, "I'm sorry I got you mixed into all this…I should have taken the others advice."

"What advice?" Roxas quickly asked, wondering if there was still time to go through with the idea.

"To die," Sora said casually though Roxas jumped in alarm, "Well not really 'die' die, just disappear from society. Have my name erased. You'd go on and get over it eventually and I'd be able to carry on work here."

"Well I'm glad you didn't listen to them," Roxas said with a smile, surprising Sora, "I think I'd be in an even worse situation if you 'died' over something as stupid as this mafia wanna-be."

It was more than obvious Roxas' words had offended him but Roxas wasn't planning on taking back what was true. "Roxas you don't understand yet…we aren't anything like the mafia," Sora said in a very serious tone, "We're more like…a society created to eliminate what we ourselves are made from."

"Sounds like mafia to me," Roxas mumbled, not realizing how mad he was making Sora until he turned and snapped at him, "We do this because we have to Roxas, and that is our only purpose of existence! Groups like the mafia do it for their own gain and of their own free-will…Do you honestly think any of us would be here…living like this, if we had the choice?"

Roxas couldn't speak, shocked by the sudden change in his brother and wanting to apologize for offending him but unable to move. Sora didn't say anything else as he got up and left, leaving Roxas to sit in his silence. It was anything but easy to do nothing as Roxas quickly learned …that was when he saw the open windows.

* * *

A pained groan echoed all down the alley but nobody heard the man's cries for help inside the club, deafened by the music, and passer-bys on the sidewalk didn't glance at what didn't concern them. "Please…All-all I need is another week!" the man begged with a wheeze, coughing blood up that fell into the murky puddle the rain left behind. He was on his knees, literally begging for his life.

"We agreed a week ago that you'd pay up by today. Whether that's in cash or in blood, I honestly don't care."

The dying scream rang through the cold air but nobody in the district paid any mind to the pain around them. Moments later Axel came out of the dark alleyway and into the streetlight, wiping his hands off on a stray newspaper at his feet, "Stupid kid…he got my shoes dirty," he complained before tossing the blood stained paper into the cold wind. It was getting late and the club had just opened to the public but tonight he didn't have anything to do. Sora and Xigbar were tending the bar and Demyx was playing the role of DJ and ofcourse lap-dance-for-hire as well. Technically he was supposed to be running the streets for targets that were guilty of severe wrath but he had business to attend to first, "…Now what?" he grumbled, not about to have a boring night.

Just when he considered the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he would have nothing to do he heard a crash and a yelp that he'd heard at least once before. A slight smirk crossed his face and he knew right then that his night wouldn't be boring.

* * *

"Ouch," Roxas whimpered as he picked himself up off the ground. He had intended to flee more gracefully but then again the ground didn't seem _that_ far and the rooftop didn't seem _that_ slippery. He managed to make it a less than a story fall but it hurt nonetheless, yet the feeling of triumph was more than enough to make him forget the aches. He was out! After taking a short moment to laugh at his success he turned and hurried down the alley, completely oblivious to the two other entities present in the blinding darkness; one alive, one dead.

Out on the streets he tried to get his bearings, tried to remember which way they'd come from when he'd been brought here. This district was all a blur of smoke, darkness, and noise and he had no idea where to start. He wouldn't go back to the night club though, he had to get away while he had the chance with or without Sora's help. "Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the Twilight Blue district?" he asked a man as he passed, but he was ignored. He asked the same question to three more people but each time he was brushed aside.

If nobody would help him then he'd have to figure it out by himself, so pulling together his nerves he started down the sidewalk. This district was entirely foreign to him and the people inhabiting it seemed to be from a completely different world. It was plain to see he wasn't from around here and that detail earned him some stares and looks that made him uncomfortable.

"Got some change kid?"

Roxas looked over at the boy who couldn't have been much older than himself and his three friends. They were bad news, Roxas could tell without getting to know them, and he ignored them and kept walking in the same fashion others had used on him. When the man grabbed his arm though and jerked him back to face him he knew he was in trouble, "Yo, don't ignore me bitch!" Instinct took over and Roxas balled his fist and threw a punch, unfortunately though the other caught his fist easily in his hand, "Who d'you think you are?" He easily shoved Roxas against the brick wall with one hand, the other drawing back to strike and Roxas shut his eyes tightly and braced himself.

Roxas opened his eyes when he heard a cry of agony and what he saw shocked him. "If you don't let go of him right now, I'll shatter this fist," Axel threatened with a sinister grin on his face. He was standing right behind the boy clutching his fist in his own and clearly crushing it in his grip. When he didn't let go and the other three moved to grab Axel he didn't hesitate and there was a sickening chorus of cracking bones as the fist disintegrated within the skin. He immediately let go of Roxas, howling in pain and clutching his shattered hand while Axel laughed manically. The three that had been coming at him froze when they saw what he'd done and they fled as soon as he looked at them.

With only one of them left Axel pushed the thug over to the ground where he continued to scream from the pain. The tables had turned so quickly and now Roxas found himself more afraid of Axel than the other man, looking away when Axel put his foot across his neck and pushed down, "I've already killed one man tonight, would you like to be the next?"

The thug underneath him saw the blood on his shoes and gasped for air, utterly horrified at this point. Axel laughed a bit, getting sick pleasure from watching him die until he heard Roxas say, "Stop it!"

Axel looked over at him but didn't remove his foot, "Why?"

"Because you're killing him! He can't breathe!" It didn't matter what he'd done to him, Axel had no right to do this, "Don't be a murderer…"

Axel didn't say anything right away and he didn't look away from Roxas either, a smirk across his lips, "But I am one." Roxas looked away, unable to watch anymore, but much to his surprise Axel removed his foot, "Get out of my sight scum." Roxas watched the frightened thug struggle to his feet and flee as quickly as he could, not stopping to look back.

"Just because you helped me doesn't mean I'm going back," Roxas immediately said, glaring at him and not budging from the wall. If he wanted to take him back he'd have to drag him back kicking and screaming the entire way.

"Who said I was going to make you go back?" Axel's words took him by surprise but the smirk on his face made it clear this wasn't an act of kindness, "But I'm not letting you go anywhere alone, especially not in this part of the city. You didn't even make it a block away without getting in trouble."

"I could have handled it," he insisted, still not moving or looking away.

"You could have gotten a punch in the gut," Axel said as he stepped closer to him, making Roxas uncomfortable but he still didn't move, "Just like this," and before Roxas could even process the words he felt his fist collide hard and fast right in his stomach. He felt all the air leave his lungs and his body numb instantly. As his legs gave out he fell over into Axel and the last thing he saw before the world went black was the blood on his shoes.

* * *

"_Hey you two!"_

_Roxas looked up from his desk at the brunette girl, notorious for her bratty nature already and they were only in 2__nd__ grade. She was bad news and he didn't like her one bit, "What?"_

"_Are you guys really twins? You don't look that much alike," it was a question they were familiar with by now and she'd asked before. This was just her trying to get a rise out of them and make them upset._

"_We're completely alike!" Sora quickly insisted, patting his brother on the head, "I'm just smarter so my hair is darker."_

_-_

"_Woah! Is that really your natural hair color?" she was new and within the first few hours of knowing her Roxas was already annoyed._

_Roxas was so tired of that question, it had nagged him all through middle school when everyone's hair was turning darker except for the girls which only made things worse, "Ofcourse it is."_

"_I don't believe you, prove it," she said. It wasn't until years later that Roxas understood why Sora dragged him away from her as quickly as he possibly could._

-

"_No! It can't be! She-"_

"_Calm down Roxas."_

"_She's not dead!!!"

* * *

_

Roxas opened his eyes and stared out into the darkness, an indescribable sadness weighing down on him, "…Sora."

"He's back across town. Where we should be."

Roxas quickly sat up and stared across the room into utter darkness, recognizing the voice and immediately remembering what happened, "Where am I?" He heard a slight laugh and what he saw next sent a chill of alarm through his body. Fire. A baseball size form of fire, and it illuminated the corner across the room where Axel sat holding the element, "You're in your room."

Roxas watched as the fire grew in his hand and illuminated the room enough that he could see that it was in fact his own, "…How are you doing that?"

"We all have different specialties," he said as if it was no big deal, and to him it really wasn't since he'd been able to manipulate fire since he became a sin, "Even your brother." Roxas said nothing as Axel stood up and came over to the bed, "Wouldn't have to show off if you'd paid the electric bill."

Shoot, he'd forgotten the electric bill somewhere between school and the recent chaos of events. Before he could even worry about that though Axel had extinguished the fire and grabbed his shoulders, roughly kissing his mouth and shocking Roxas to no end. He struggled and tried to push him away but Axel was much stronger than he looked and that gave him the upper hand as he easily pushed Roxas back down into bed, "Stop struggling, you're really killing the mood," he complained as his mouth left Roxas' and started down his neck.

"Get off of me!!!" he started to scream but one of Axel's hands quickly covered his mouth and muffled it out, "Look it's nothing personal, I'm just bored so just shut up and enjoy it. Pretend I'm someone else if you have to." The concept made him sick and the first chance he got he jabbed his knee as hard as he could into Axel's gut, missing his groin by inches. Axel grunted and rolled off him, one hand on his stomach, "What was that for?"

"Stop touching me!" Roxas snapped, getting out of bed and glaring at him while trying to catch his breath. Axel didn't move right away but when he did he reached out and poked him in the stomach, "Like that?" Roxas couldn't stand him and he swatted the hand away with an annoyed growl, turning on heel and storming out of the room. He was beyond mad now and couldn't believe he was stuck with this piece of filth. There was a flashlight on top of the fridge downstairs he was going to grab, at least then he'd be able to see where he was going without Axel's fire. In his blinding rage he didn't realize the stairs were a foot closer than he thought and he felt himself fall forward, quickly bracing himself for the tumble.

As soon as he lost his footing though he felt a set of arms wrap around him securely and the entire way down he endured very little impact. When they reached the first floor Roxas still hadn't opened his eyes, the whole experience scaring him more than he would admit and he was lucky he hadn't been hurt. His protector however, "Axel?" he didn't move and Roxas got off of him quickly, "Axel? Are you okay?"

"Why? You worried about me?" though Roxas couldn't see him he could hear the smugness in his voice. "Not a chance. I just don't want you getting blood on my floor," Roxas insisted as he got to his feet, wincing as he did so.

"Sit back down," Axel instructed as he sat up and lit another fire in his hand, this one he left floating in the air, "I'm guessing you sprained your ankle on that first step." Roxas sat back down on the second stair and didn't protest as Axel examined his right ankle with surprising gentility, "…It's not bad at all, just swollen a bit. It should be fine in the morning." Roxas considered thanking him but when the pyro leaned in dangerously close to his face with a smirk he changed his thought process, "You're helpless until then."

"I've still got one good foot and with it I can destroy your manhood," Roxas threatened, obviously not kidding and Axel sat back on his heels quickly, "You're mean, you know that? I've been trying to be hospitable and you're abusing me every time."

"Hospitable? You raped me!" Roxas nearly screamed though Axel seemed unfazed.

"Whoa, back up. I don't rape, that's not cool," Axel insisted casually tossing the fire from one hand to the other, "You came to me kid and you started it." Roxas still didn't want to believe that but he couldn't even remember that night clearly and it showed. "Why are you making such a big deal out of it? You enjoyed it so what's wrong?" Axel asked, honestly not seeing why he was so mad, "Not like it was your first time or anything…oh shit." It was. Now Axel understood and without another word he created another fire and walked away, leaving the other light with Roxas who just stared into it unblinkingly.

It wasn't for several minutes that Axel finally returned, carrying with him a roll of bandages. Neither one of them said anything as Axel started to wrap up the sore ankle though it was clear he was trying to think of what he could say, "Guess you really are my responsibility…" was the best he could come up with as he finished the wrap and secured the bone, "So let's do it again."

Roxas wasn't expecting that and he quickly spoke up against it, "No way!"

"Why not?" Axel asked, waiting for an answer but Roxas honestly couldn't think of one which made Axel grin, "It doesn't have to mean anything to you. I just feel like an ass right now and figured it would make us both feel better, while at the same time making up for the fact you can't even remember your first time."

"Doing it again won't help!" Roxas said firmly but his face was flushed with embarrassment Axel could see plainly in the fire's light.

"Sure it will," Axel said positively, leaning forward between Roxas' legs and eyelevel with him, less than a foot away from his face, "I remember it."

"Get away from me," Roxas said, though protesting with less vigor than other times.

"Every look, every kiss, every moan. I remember it all," Axel didn't stop and he pushed Roxas down so he was lying uncomfortably on the stairs, "It was rough and angry at first; after all, I still wanted to kill you for hitting me. But then things got good," he wasn't oblivious to what he was doing to Roxas but oh how he was enjoying it. Before the night was over he'd have him asking, begging, for him, "It was so good."

Roxas tried to stay composed though he was falling apart quickly, "Get off…I hate you!" he put all his remaining fight into that one last curse.

"That's just what you said before we started, and you know what? I don't care," Axel grinned, his lips only inches above Roxas' and staring into those beautiful blue eyes, "And neither do you." Roxas didn't shove him away when Axel's lips roughly took his, rather he returned it. It held no meaning whatsoever for either one of them, it was just a way to make it through the night and find some brief relief from the week they'd had.

* * *

Well that's an interesting way of expressing hatred…but if you're like me you think it's pretty hot too. Haha! Well I really have nothing worthwhile to say here other than thank you for reading and I hope you'll all review and let me know what you thought. It's late and I really need sleep because I've had a super busy day and I have to wake up in a few hours. Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world, and happy holidays everyone!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	5. Sinful Sights

Well today is the last day of break and I've got a REALLY bad week ahead of me because a friend of mine just told me test I was supposed to makeup was supposed to be done before break started. My grade in AP Calculus is bad enough already and this means I'm going to have to do major cramming until that grade gets back up. I'll still write when I get the chance but that won't be often so I can't really say when the next chapter will be done. For now though enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Sinful Sights**

"Oh thank goodness it's here!" Zexion let out a very relieved sigh as he hugged the large book to his chest.

"I can't believe you forgot it," Luxord said with an obvious note of disappointment in his voice. He was the first to notice the tab of paper stick out between the pages and he gave the edge a short tug to pry the letter free, "It's a letter…addressed to Riku." Rather than give it to him Luxord started to open the envelope.

"I'll take that," Riku said, snatching it out of his hands and looking at the envelope. It was Sora's handwriting, there was no mistaking the poor penmanship, and he put it in his back pocket resolving to read it later after their setup was done. Their London base wasn't anything like the one they had back in Twilight Town. This one was noticeably less welcoming with it's stone walls and prison like atmosphere and it was about half the size, the only two rooms being the laboratory and the basement where they kept vehicles, "As you know, we're right underneath Big Ben herself and the killings took place in the east end. Who wants to do what?"

"I'll get the equipment back up to speed since you two are computer illiterate," Luxord said first as he searched his pockets, "Try to bring me back a blood sample from the victims who haven't been buried yet, we need to see if they have anything genetically in common. And bring me back a packet of cigarettes too, I seem to have left them back in Twilight Town."

"I can't believe you forgot them," Zexion mocked, earning a flick over the head, "I'll get them for you, both the cigarettes and the blood."

"Guess that leaves recon to me. I'll check the murder sights and ask around for information," Riku said, though he was the best suited for this job since he was in fact from London. This base was actually once the Pride headquarters back when the experiments were first beginning so in a way this was where he'd been created. They had bases set up in 7 cities around the world, each one the former site of a sin project, though their main base was back in the Envy lab in Twilight Town because the equipment was the most up to date, there was the most room, and it provided the perfect cover-up.

"Shall we meet back here around 11 o'clock then?" Luxord asked, looking to his watch and resetting it to the new time zone, "Five hours should be plenty of time." They all agreed and went on their separate ways, Riku and Zexion taking an elevator up to the waterways that they could then follow into the city.

* * *

"Did you find him?" Sora asked quickly, running over to the guardrail as soon as he spotted Demyx coming back inside.

"No, he's not down here," for the second time Roxas had gone missing and it wasn't good news for any of them, "Did you check Axel's room?"

"Yes, he's gone too," Sora said with a noticeable unease in his voice. Last night he'd clocked out early due to a headache but when he didn't see Roxas in bed he just assumed he was downstairs enjoying himself and trying to take a break from stress. The following morning though he still hadn't come upstairs and a search quickly revealed that he was missing.

"Rotten little Houdini. Should've put a tracker on him as soon as he disappeared the first time," Xigbar complained on his way up from the basement, "You don't think he snuck on the airship do you?"

"Ofcourse not, he has better sense than to travel halfway around the world with three people he doesn't even know," Sora quickly said, knowing Roxas would never do something so absurd, _'Roxas…Where are you?'_ His brother was already on a bad note with the others and he was pushing his luck more and more.

The three of them looked over to the doors when they heard the click of the lock that only seven people had a key for. In walked Axel, casual as he could be with a duffle bag over his shoulder, Roxas following behind him with his backpack and not looking nearly as awake or composed. Demyx was the first to speak up, his jaw dropping and his hands quickly covering his mouth, "Oh my god, you guys had sex." Nobody asked how Demyx knew these things but he was never wrong in his assumptions on sex. He had been a very famous prostitute before he became Lust and was familiar with anything and everything that involved the naughties.

Roxas' face flushed and he looked mad, "No we didn't!" Axel's grin said otherwise and Roxas knew that they knew. Embarrassed and tired he grumbled under his breath the entire way upstairs, all the way down the hall, and into Axel's room.

"Well this is unexpected," Demyx said once he was gone, "How was it?"

"Shouldn't we be thinking more about the mission?" Sora quickly said, not wanting to deal with this, much less have the others discussing it, "We would've been done by now if you hadn't disappeared last night."

"Well I'm here now, so let's get working," Axel insisted smugly, dropping the duffle bag by the door and resetting the lock. From time to time they were hired for private jobs that didn't relate to sin at all, but the rewards were so much that they couldn't easily ignore them, "What's the call and what's the prize?"

"The former museum curator and his fiancé," Sora said on his way downstairs, "They have a grudge against the new owner, who bought them out through blackmail. Apparently they'd been stealing original pieces and replacing them with phonies. The new owner found out and forced them to sell though but allowed them to keep the originals since the public can't tell the difference."

"They want us to kill him and burn down the museum so nobody ever discovers the phony pieces," Xigbar went on, "In return we get ten of the original pieces they stole."

"So we thought of a way to kill two birds with one stone," Sora continued, the most referenced on this case since the couple had approached him about the matter before he left for his room last night, "The curator is the only one in the museum by midnight and he takes a walk through the place to make sure nobody is inside before closing. You can get rid of him and the building in one big flame."

"Now this is much better than London," Axel said with a pleased grin, picking up the duffle bag again and heading for the stairs, "I'm going to go rest up for tonight then and ofcourse keep out new guest entertained."

Axel's glee in mocking Sora didn't last long for halfway up the stairs he heard something unexpected, "Make sure he can still walk after you're finished 'entertaining' him. Roxas is going with you tonight."

Axel froze mid-step and looked dangerously back at him, "…What?"

"He's supposed to be close to your side at all times Axel," Sora said. Though he disapproved he couldn't help but enjoy the restraints on Axel this whole situation caused, "Shouldn't be a problem since you made it clear he was your responsibility." Axel opened his mouth to say something, his words locked in his throat and making speech impossible. Just when he was starting to think this whole Roxas baggage would be manageable another weight was dropped on his head. "By the way, don't leave bodies in the alley. Xigbar had to get rid of it this morning on his way out and it wasn't pleasant," Sora said casually, "Enjoy your nap."

Sora was being awfully bold this morning and to be honest it just pissed Axel off even more, though his boldness quickly fell into pieces under the look Axel gave him as he came back down the stairs and over to him, "Watch your tongue," he hissed, grabbing the front of his shirt and literally lifting him up and slamming him into the wall, feet hanging almost a foot above the ground. Xigbar ignored it all and returned to the bar to check over a new inventory of drinks. Demyx however had been waiting for Axel to snap and put Sora in his place. Riku wasn't here to protect him anymore and Axel had wanted to deck him on more than one occasion, now was his chance.

Sora was scared and it showed but Axel fed off of his fear, grinning sickly, "Your brother is mine and I can do whatever I want to him as long as it doesn't kill him. Every wise-ass snide remark or look you make to me only hurts him…So yeah, thanks, I will enjoy my _nap_." What hurt more than that threat was Axel's fist as it collided, hard, with the side of his face. Sora hissed from the pain and knew for a fact there would be a bruise, and as soon as Axel let him go he fell to the floor and looked away.

"Aw Axel," Demyx snickered, obviously not feeling bad for Sora, "That wasn't very nice."

* * *

Roxas was sitting on the floor by the window with a textbook open across his legs, idly reading the pages of history, when he heard the door open. He looked up but already knew who it was, and when he saw Axel he just looked back at his book without a word. He didn't pay him any further attention until he realized he'd walked straight across the room to him and as soon as he looked up Axel grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked him to his feet. Roxas' body was still sore from last night and the abrupt movement caused him to wince, which turned to a yelp when Axel tightened his grip and pushed him back against the window, "A-Axel?!"

The pyro was grinning rather snidely, making it clear Roxas was in trouble, "Just shut up and enjoy it," was all he said before tugging his pants down with one quick jerk. Roxas had heard him say that before but this time he didn't get the chance to protest as Axel's mouth violently attacked his own. As sickening as it was he found a tinge on enjoyment in the attack, his body familiar with what Axel could do, but that didn't change the fact he was against it, "Stop this! Axel, the window!" he hissed quickly, tilting his head back to get his mouth away from Axel's.

"Nobody cares," he said casually, one hand keeping Roxas pressed against the glass while the other slid down his back and under his pants and the elastic of his boxers, "Welcome to the bad side of town." Suddenly Roxas let out a horrible pained cry which he feared would echo all the way downstairs, a sharp and intense pain quickly obliterating the small bit of enjoyment he'd found. Axel had wasted no time and taken no preparations, jabbing two fingers into the raw and still tender opening. It didn't last for more than a minute and when Axel let go Roxas limply fell to his knees, feeling sick and violated.

"Sorry about that," Axel said casually, ruffling a hand through the blonde hair and picking the fallen textbook up off the floor. Roxas sat there without a word for quite some time, but when he finally spoke up he was furious, "…What the hell did you do that for?!"

"Don't sound so mad, it wasn't that bad. I just had to prove a point," Axel said casually as he sat back on the bed and opened the book. Roxas was mad though, furious even, and he pulled himself together before balling his fists and lunging for him. Axel was faster though and caught both fists easily much to Roxas' frustration and pulled him to his chest before rolling and pinning him uncomfortably to the bed, "You could be making this whole experience so much easier on yourself."

"Shut up! I hate you!" Roxas struggled and thrashed but it did little and he ended up only further hurting his sore body.

Axel let him struggle for a while, watching the anger grow in his eyes and getting more and more enjoyment out of it, "No matter how many times you say it, I still don't care," he said as he pushed Roxas' wrists above his head.

* * *

Sora was upstairs lying in bed with an icepack on his cheek, trying not to think about his brother and the mess he was in. There wasn't much going on in the world at the moment and the few sin priorities he had he really didn't feel like doing right now. That wasn't a good thing since technically that was his purpose for living. _'You've got a duty to uphold, even if you feel lousy,'_ he knew that was exactly what Riku would tell him if he was here. He wondered how London was treating him and the others, hopefully better than the way Axel was treating Roxas.

He sighed with a strong note of frustration and took off the icepack before grabbed the pillow, shouting his frustrations into it all with one long breath. It probably wasn't the best way to deal with stress but it was the second best way for him. When he inhaled again he could faintly smell peppermint on the fabric, making him smile. His best stress reliever was halfway across the world on a mission.

After thinking about it for a few minutes he decided that since Riku wasn't slacking off he shouldn't either. There was an entire inventory of names and incidents he could be addressing on the computer downstairs and he was the only one that could take care of them! Motivated, he sat up and quickly got out of bed, not expecting the sharp pain in his head to send him to his knees almost immediately.

"_It's one of them!"_

"_Get it!"_

"_Where are the others?"_

"_Screw you."_

"_Which one is it? Check his back."_

"…_Sir, it's-"_

Sora gasped sharply as the rest of the world came back into view, staring across the floor and trying to digest what he'd just seen. A church…gun shots…blood…a struggle and, "He's been caught," he said under his breath as soon as he'd put it all together. With a newfound haste he scrambled to his feet and fled as quickly as possible downstairs.

* * *

"So? How did it go?" Luxord asked, idly looking over his shoulder when Riku came in dripping wet.

"Lousy. Barely anyone I spoke with even knew about the murders," he explained while shedding the wet jacket and shaking his hair dry, "London sure isn't what it used to be."

"The world has changed," Luxord commented while holding up a notebook to shield the computer from the water droplets his hair sent flying, "Our job just keeps getting more and more difficult every year."

He sounded very serious without even a tinge of sarcasm and Riku found that unlike him, "What's on your mind?"

Luxord didn't answer right away and he continued to stare at one of the many computer screens, not reading any of the material though, "…I just wonder sometimes if we're really doing any good at all." Riku didn't say anything. Luxord usually never spoke about heavy matters, and never had he questioned their existence. "Every day we purge society of sin that threatens harmony's balance, then in a matter of hours the threat is almost double what it was…If we just didn't do anything about it, if we just woke up one morning and lived life the way we should live it, as the normal human beings we used to be…what would happen to this world?"

"We'll never know," Riku said solemnly. He asked himself that very question almost every day and the cold, hard truth was that they would never know because they could never abandon their one mission in life.

Luxord chuckled a bit in his throat and nodded, "I suppose you're right." Before the discussion could continue a ringing noise came from the computer, "We're getting a call from Twilight Town," Luxord said, sounding like himself again and as if nothing at all had transpired. Riku wouldn't soon forget that conversation though; it showed him that Luxord wasn't the sarcastic, arrogant, chain-smoking snob he always thought he was. When he saw Sora on one of the monitors though he quickly forgot it and smiled, "Hello! Miss me that much already?"

Luxord rolled his eyes and put his feet on the wall beside him, pushing himself and the rolling chair across the room to another panel of computers. "Where's Zexion?" Something was wrong and Riku quickly got serious again, "He hasn't come back yet. What's wrong?"

"You have to find him," Sora said franticly, looking beyond frazzled, "I had a vision and-"

"Sorry I'm late!" Riku and Luxord looked over to see Zexion come running in soaking wet and out of breath, "I had some trouble. Did you know they don't accept munny here?"

As Zexion explained his difficulties paying for some of the newspaper archives regarding the murders to Luxord, Riku addressed Sora again, "He's here too. Now calm down…What did you see?"

Sora took a moment to recompose himself, beyond relieved to see they were all okay, "…I didn't see it clearly, the church was too dark. At least I think it was a church…There was a cross and the ceiling was very high, a few candles and pews were there too. There were three people at least, and one of us, there were gunshots and a struggle and…and they caught someone and I think they were tied to a chair or a beam…I'm sorry, it wasn't very clear at all, but I remember them shouting and asking where the others were. Then they were trying to figure out which sin it was and someone said to check his back…and that's all I could see."

He was clearly shaken but at least this was a mild one. Riku could remember visions that left Sora sobbing on the floor for hours, and his visions had never been wrong. That was his gift as a sin. They all had one ability that set them apart from the others, for example: Axel and his ability to manipulate fire, "Calm down Sora, we're all here and we're all fine. Did you hear a name or see which one of us it was? Any hints at all?"

Sora shook his head, "No, it wasn't clear at all…but the person did say 'screw you' I remember, but it was too faint to pin to one of you."

"Well if they said 'screw you' then it definitely wasn't Zexion…Don't worry, we'll be on our guard for the remainder of the trip," Riku assured him, "And you're sure it was here in London and not back there?"

"I think so. I heard two people shouting and those were both European accents. One of them sounded French and the other might have been Italian," he said with a positive nod.

"Right. We'll be careful," Riku said. Zexion would never use the language Sora had heard, and Luxord was a recluse who would sit down here in front of the computers for the entire trip, meaning there was only one other person it could be that Sora saw…

"I miss you."

He wasn't going to worry Sora with his thoughts, especially since he was shaken enough already, so he smiled, "I miss you too."

Sora was feeling better and he returned the smile, "Come back soon and in one piece, okay?"

"I will. And you get back to work; you've got a duty to uphold, even if you feel lousy," Riku insisted.

Sora burst out laughing, he knew that was what he'd say to him and he nodded, feeling much better, "Right. Keep me posted on how things are going there. By the way, I meant what I said in that letter!" Before Riku could say anything else Sora hung up and the monitor went back to the streams of data that had been there before. He hadn't read the letter yet on the count that he'd forgotten about it entirely, though he was sure it would have been a nice relief from the night of work he'd had. He pulled it out of his back pocket and finished tearing it open, pulling out the folded up paper:

_Bring me back a souvenir!_

_Love, Sora_

With a slight laugh he folded the paper back up and stuck it in his pocket, _'Brat,'_ was the only thing that came to mind, though the second line in the note made him feel better.

* * *

Roxas opened his eyes groggily as he felt himself being shaken awake, "C'mon, I'm not wasting the night because of you," that was Axel's voice but when Roxas saw the clock numbers illuminated to read 11 PM he wasn't about to get up. Axel wasn't going to wait around though and with one shove he pushed Roxas out of bed, "Let's go already."

Roxas hit the floor painfully waking up the rest of his body, "What do you want?"

"I've got a mission and you've got to tag along," Axel said as he went around the room in search of his cell phone.

"No way, I don't want anything to do with what you do," Roxas insisted, though was a bit surprised to see he was still dressed. He remembered he'd been mad but attacking Axel didn't go well and he only tired himself out in the struggle. As if to further annoy him Axel insisted all he wanted was to take a nap, which surprisingly left Roxas also feeling disappointed. His body's soreness had faded by now which was a good thing since Axel came over and grabbed his ankle, "Trust me, this wasn't my idea," he said as he dragged Roxas toward the door.

Roxas wasn't going to be dragged around though and he quickly grabbed onto the bed post. "Don't make this difficult," Axel warned, glaring down at him and almost subconsciously Roxas let go of the post, much to both of their surprise, "Good boy."

Axel let go of his ankle and Roxas stood up, straightening out his clothes and figuring that Axel wouldn't make him go if he didn't have to, "So this is part of the agreement?"

"Yup. We're stuck together," Axel said as he grabbed a scarf on the floor, "Get a jacket. It's cold out tonight." He waited by the door as Roxas searched through the duffle bag, pulling out a hooded sweater and pulling it over his head. They were stuck together because of his one drunken mistake and it left a sour note in the back of his mind even though he was trying to think optimistically. This was going to be a new experience for him because he'd never seen nor committed a crime in his life, and even if he wouldn't admit it the thought excited him.

The club was alive with noise and excitement, a familiar drug scent lingering faintly in the air that made Roxas wrinkle his nose in disgust. On his way down the stairs he felt someone grope his behind but rather than look back he scurried closer to Axel, who seemed to know what happened and turned back, shouting a short obscenity at the girls responsible before grabbing Roxas' arm and keeping him by his side.

From the stairs Roxas looked over the club and saw a few of the sins almost immediately. Demyx was dancing on top of the bar for a group of girls who clearly had gotten in with fake I.D. but Xigbar, who was behind the bar, had served them liquor. Roxas knew that usually Luxord would be on the other side of the shelves that divided the bar, entertaining with his sleights of hand, but since he was in London he assumed his brother was in his place. Ignoring the rest of the club Roxas followed Axel downstairs, watching as he redid several locks once they were inside in order to keep any outsiders from discovering this area. Roxas had rushed through this area on his way to find Sora but now took more time to take in the lab, "I've been meaning to ask: what is this place?" The neon lit sign outside read 'Redemption,' a famous night club known around the country but it had more meaning and Roxas knew it.

"It was the American headquarters for the sin project," Axel answered, figuring Roxas would need to know sooner or later, "Back when the experiments were first beginning 7 bases were set up in 7 countries, and each country was assigned a sin. America was assigned Envy, so this is the former Envy research building."

"…So my dad was created here? Well I mean Sora's dad…" his family tree was still contorted in his mind and he was having trouble accepting the fact that he was from a different biological father.

"Bingo," Axel said with a mock sense of approval, "There are six other bases but like this one the research team has long since been eliminated and the buildings became our headquarters for when we have to travel to a different country. Right now Luxord, Zexion, and Riku are at the Pride base in London."

"Pride base? So that was where Riku was created?" as insensible as it all was the logic of the sins was beginning to make sense to him.

"Exactly," Axel said as he reached the elevator and pressed the button for the doors to open, "And I hope he's miserable being back there."

Roxas thought that was cruel but didn't say so, instead following him into the elevator with another question, "Why don't you guys get along?" Axel didn't say anything, instead just pushing the down arrow and causing the doors to shut them in as the elevator descended into the garage. Since he obviously wasn't going to get an answer Roxas asked a different question, "Where were you created?"

"You're asking stupid questions. I suggest you stop while you still have your tongue," Axel wasn't in the best of moods and Roxas knew that all too well by now so he stopped talking completely. Out in the garage he followed Axel over to the black car that Roxas had been brought here in and he sat in the passenger seat without a word. What he assumed would be a silent car ride was interrupted by the loud radio, blaring heavy indistinguishable techno music. Roxas' tolerance for music, especially techno, was very small and he sunk into his seat and stared sulkily out the window, not about to tamper with the radio since it prevented awkward silence.

They drove for nearly an hour and Roxas was beginning to recognize this district. It was a wealthy one littered with aristocrats, multi-million dollar homes, private clubs, and culture, "…What exactly are we doing here?" he asked as he realized he had absolutely no sense of what the mission was.

"See that museum?" Axel asked, pointing down the street to a building that was spared no detail architecturally, "I'm going to burn it to the ground, the curator with it."

That didn't bode well with Roxas at all and he quickly spoke up, "But all of the great works of art inside there are-"

"Complete fakes," Axel cut him short, "We're getting rid of the fakes that the original owners put in place of the actual pieces." Roxas didn't know what to say; even if they were just getting rid of fakes something still didn't feel right about this. Axel clearly wasn't bothered by it in the least because he parked about a block from the museum and turned off the engine, "Stay here."

Part of Roxas was relieved that he wouldn't have to aide in the arson but the part that controlled his voice was disappointed, "Why can't I come?"

Axel was a bit surprised when he heard that and he hesitated to get out of the car, "What? You _want_ to get your hands dirty?" Roxas didn't say anything and Axel only laughed, "You do! Oh boy…Alright, whatever, just don't get in my way," he said as he opened the door and got out of the car. Roxas just sat there for a moment realizing what he said. He was going to commit a felony…And the thought excited him.

In less than half an hour they were back in the car watching the frenzy of flames which had literally engulfed the entire building, people from the district watching from the streets or from the safety of their own windows. "You did well," Axel said, breaking Roxas' intense stare on the fire, "Thought for sure you'd chicken."

Roxas took the compliment with a huge smile even if it hadn't been a great piece of praise, "I'll feel guilty in a few hours." Axel chuckled and shook his head as he put the keys into the ignition, tired of watching the fire and figuring they'd better leave before the police rounded up witnesses. He paused though when he heard Roxas mumble something under his breath that he hadn't intended for Axel to hear, "But I could never do this my entire life like you and the others do."

Axel sat back in his seat, letting go of the key and staring at the fire again for several moments. He was clearly deep in thought and Roxas wondered what was on his mind, though he didn't dare ask. "Japan," Axel finally said. Roxas was clearly confused so Axel elaborated with as little detail as possible, "You asked where I was created earlier. Yokohama, Japan, was my home and home of the Wrath base."

Surprised that he'd opened up Roxas wondered what else he could find out, asking a question that related to his home, "Japan? But…Well you don't look like it," he said, trying not to be blunt or rude since that might ruin his chance at answers.

"I was adopted," was all he said, brushing off the topic quickly. That made sense but before Roxas could ask any more questions Axel started the car and the techno music once again took over the silence. It was clear that, for now at least, question time was over but the fact that Roxas had gotten at least two answers out of him made him feel just a bit better about this whole situation.

* * *

Aw they bonded and Roxas helped with a crime! Before you know it he'll be stealing old ladies' purses and tipping cattle. I can't think of anything worth saying here other than I hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I hope even more that you'll review and tell me what you thought! Reviews help, they really do, and I love hearing feedback both good and bad. Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	6. Sinful Frustrations

I haven't updated in so long I'm almost ashamed to post anything. All I can say is I'm sorry. You guys have no idea how busy and chaotic life has been and one of the last things I've had time for is writing. With school getting more intense and friends going beyond crazy there's been barely anytime to breathe. This chapter is a bit short as well but I think it's a good developmental one and helps the relationship between Roxas and Axel. Like the title says this is all about frustration, and guess which one of them is frustrated? Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Sinful Frustration**

Lying in bed that night Roxas couldn't help but feel disappointed. After the mission he was very awake and alive but Axel on the other hand was tired and only wanted to sleep. Even though Roxas didn't want to sleep he wouldn't admit to what he wanted…at least not out loud. He tried to think of other things, listen to the music from downstairs still going strong, stare out the window but everything failed. He thought about Axel, he listened to his noisy breathing while he slept, and stared at his back wondering if he'd roll over anytime soon. Why he was thinking all of these things he had no idea but he couldn't take his mind off the sleeping sin.

He was almost afraid to go to sleep though, afraid he'd wake up with a problem Axel would undoubtedly notice and mock him for, but then he'd solve the problem while Roxas protested. He was used to the struggle and now, lying in silence, he missed it. A thought crossed Roxas' mind and he wondered if he could maybe discreetly wake Axel up and trick him into what he wanted. He tried at first with heavy sighs, fidgets, and loud yawns but Axel didn't budge or even acknowledge he'd heard him. Roxas was annoyed but not discouraged, convinced his plan would work if he could just get him to wake up!

On his second attempt he tried coughing and pulling the covers more for himself. Axel didn't budge this time either and didn't care when Roxas had pulled all the blankets off him. Annoyance grew and Roxas cursed into his pillow to calm down. Once he'd somewhat pulled himself back together he went in for attempt number three.

This time he was going to nudge him just hard enough so he'd have to feel it. Before he could touch him though Axel's hand shot up and grabbed his own even though he didn't look or roll over to see him, "Stop making so much noise," was all he said but he didn't let go of his hand, which sickeningly enough gave Roxas some hope. As if reading what was on his mind, Axel looked back at Roxas with a bit of surprise in his expression, "…You're a pervert."

Roxas quickly erased his thoughts and tried to take his hand back, "I am not!" but he couldn't hide his excitement as Axel rolled over and pinned the hand he hadn't let go of above Roxas' head.

Axel laughed in utter disbelief, "You are! Sick little pervert," he realized his words didn't discourage him and wondered just how much he could annoy him. He leaned his face down and Roxas shut his eyes and moved his head so Axel could get to his neck easier. Axel only laughed, not expecting his hot breath to make Roxas whimper but it was very entertaining, "Well now, someone is needy." When Axel leaned back Roxas opened his eyes and clearly wished he'd knock off his games. "What is it that you need?" Axel asked. Roxas' face flushed with embarrassment, he couldn't be serious. "You woke me up for a reason I suppose, so say it, say what you want," Axel was serious and he wanted to hear it.

Roxas was too embarrassed to speak, let alone say what he wanted. He didn't want to give Axel that satisfaction so he held his tongue and hoped he would just do it anyway. Axel wasn't in the same mood as Roxas though and had no problem letting go of his hand and rolling back over onto his side to sleep, pulling the covers back over him without a word. Roxas lie there, feeling worse than before and he stared at Axel longingly, "I hate you…" he mumbled as he realized he'd have to let go of his pride to get his Wrath.

"I don't care," Axel said with a clear grin in his voice that only made Roxas feel worse.

* * *

The following morning Axel only further frustrated his blonde captive, "Give that back!" Roxas insisted, jumping and trying to grab the backpack but Axel was too tall and easily held it out of his reach, "I'm serious!" 

"No, I thought you were Roxas," Axel had been woken up again and once again it was by Roxas, though this time he caught him sneaking out, "Just where did you plan on going?"

"I've got school! I've already missed two days thanks to this mess and I can't miss any more!" Roxas almost grabbed the bag but Axel put a hand on his head and easily pushed him over. Roxas landed on his bottom and he just glared up at him, getting angrier but remembering last night. Last night he never told Axel what he wanted and because of that he never got what he wanted. Maybe now things would be different.

Axel saw exactly what he was thinking and tossed the backpack onto the bed before reaching down and grabbing a fistful of Roxas' hair, "What's got you in such a needy mood lately? Finally giving in?"

Roxas looked up at him then at what was right in front of his face. He would never beg like Axel wanted and expected him to, but he would do what it took to get what he wanted. He undid the drawstring on the pajama pants and almost immediately Axel roughly shoved him away. Roxas fell back, his head hitting the floor but before he could move to get up Axel slammed his foot down on his chest. He let out a pained and breathless cry but before he could even finish Axel leaned down and struck him across the face. He could taste blood in his mouth and see anger in Axel's eyes, not understanding why he was mad, "I'm in charge. Don't you ever try something like that again," he spat in a dangerous tone, one unlike Roxas had ever heard before and it genuinely struck fear through him.

Roxas said nothing, nor did he move, as Axel retied his pants and straddled his chest. His head still hurt from the impact on the floor but it looked like Axel's anger had subsided because once again he had a snide look in his eyes, "And you're not going to school. As of yesterday you dropped out and moved out of the district." Shock and mortification took over Roxas' expression but it shattered as Axel grabbed the sides of his face and took his lips. He forced his mouth open and slid his tongue between the teeth before grazing over the bleeding cut where he struck him.

A slight wince was muffled as Axel pushed his thumb against his sore cheek, stimulating more blood flow from the cut. His other hand slid around to the back of Roxas' head and he felt a warm liquid in the mess of hair. Roxas yelped and cringed, making Axel draw back from the kiss and pull his hand away only to see blood smeared on it and the floor.

* * *

"You're lucky you didn't give him a concussion," Xigbar scolded as he finished wrapping up Roxas' head, "He hit his head hard enough I'm amazed it's only a skin tear." 

"You sure look funny," Axel laughed at the bandages but Roxas found none of this funny.

"Just leave them on for a few hours to help stop the bleeding. Zexion's the one who usually does this sort of stuff and I'm sure there's more we could do but I have no clue what that might be," Xigbar admitted as he left the medical room, not bothering to do any more.

Roxas watched him leave and wished he hadn't because that meant he was alone with Axel again. Why couldn't the wound have been something enough where a sedative was necessary? At least then he'd be unconscious and avoid the taunting and teasing that either left him hurt or aroused, and which of the two it turned out to be was entirely up to Axel.

With surprising gentility Axel pushed him back so he was lying flat on the cold metal table, supporting his head with one hand to avoid putting pressure on the wound, "How about something to take your mind off that nasty cut?" His dagger laced smile let Roxas know none of his words or actions were sincere and while Roxas' eyes were on his face he didn't even notice where his other hand went until it grabbed him through the material of his pants.

Axel's game barely lasted five minutes before he was interrupted by a ringing in his shirt pocket. He let go of Roxas and stood up straight, pulling out the phone and looking at the information on the screen. Roxas wasn't nearly as composed, his breath uneven and his once neat and tidy school uniform now messy and half off. "Time to work," Axel said, putting his phone away and turning to leave.

Roxas couldn't believe he was just going to leave him like that and he quickly called after him, "Axel!"

Axel looked back, pretending to not realize the problem, "What?" Roxas didn't say anything, not sure how to tell him he needed more since he was sure it was obvious. "If you've got a problem, fix it yourself," he said with a bit of a laugh on his way out the door, "Be in the garage in ten minutes."

He was gone and Roxas was left alone in the quiet and cold room, still horribly aroused and annoyed. How could he be so…frustrating?! That was the only word Roxas could think of for him at first and he sat up, straightening his shirt and looking around to make sure he was alone before continuing what Axel started, wrapping his hand around himself. He was so frustrating! Arrogant! Sloppy! Annoying! Selfish! The more he thought about him the easier the situation became and he sighed and shut his eyes. He was rude! Infuriating! Cruel! A moan escaped his lips as he leaned his head back and his strokes grew faster. Ruthless! Unpredictable! Maddening! His breathing hastened and he subconsciously slid a hand up his shirt, not expecting another hand to follow it up. He knew that touch and slowly realized who was sitting behind him. Dark! Mysterious! Controlling!

"Ah A-Axel," he felt another arm wrap around his stomach and Axel's tongue graze across the rim of his ear. He fisted his cock faster and gasped as Axel's hand took hold of the one up his shirt, making his fingers pinch at one of the hard nipples. Manipulative! Incredible! And, "Come for me Roxas," frustrating.

Roxas moaned and threw his head back onto Axel's shoulder as he came, hard. He felt Axel's hand let go of the one up his shirt only to grab onto the other on, bringing it up and licking the sticky substance off each digit. Out of the corner of his eye Roxas watched him and had to ask, "Why'd you come back?"

"Not for you if that's what you're thinking," Axel said as he cleaned off the fingers, "The elevator wasn't working and I figured watching you jerk off would be a good way to waste the time."

Roxas said nothing more. This was what the life had been reduced to but despite the frustration he found each second all the more exciting.

* * *

Kehehe…I'm not sure what to say now other than I hope you liked it. Rest assured I haven't given up on this story and I most certainly will finish anything I write. Thank you guys so much for bearing with me through this whole absence and reviewing and I promise to update as quickly as possible. As always I wish you all the best in the world! 

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	7. Sinful Standoffs

Been a while since I worked with this story

Been a while since I worked with this story. The pirate one was my main focus for a while and the other night I got super inspired and wrote 5 pages and finished off this chapter and part of the next one too. Can't say how long it'll be until the next update since there's a minor crisis going on in the drama department and it's affecting a few of us (including me) quite strongly. No details here though I may rant later in my DA journal. Enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you guys think!!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Sinful Standoffs **

Roxas sat on the stairs watching what could only be described as chaos. Barely two minutes ago the three sins that left on the London assignment returned, one in critical condition. "It broke out just as we were landing and attacked him," Luxord said as he carried Zexion over to the bar and set him down on the flat surface. There was a huge tear in his chest that made Roxas' stomach churn but the others, including Axel, dropped whatever they were doing and ran over to him.

"How did it get out?" Demyx asked quickly, reaching Zexion first and grabbing his hand.

"The lock was completely shattered on the cage," Riku said, though how it got out didn't matter, "We were able to sedate it and lock it back away but right now we've got to get him to a hospital."

"Oh that's smart. What do we tell them?" Axel snapped, "We haven't got a ready alibi and you know our connection at Cedar Sinai hospital retired."

"Well we can't exactly treat him here since he's the one who would usually do this sort of thing," they hadn't even been in the same room for 5 minutes and already Riku and Axel were fighting.

"Knock it off! Let's just go!" Xigbar said, breaking up the fight quickly, "It's not enough to kill him yet but he's in pain! Come on!"

Luxord knew he was right and picked Zexion up, "I'll take him."

Demyx followed at his heels, "I'll come too." And they were gone before anyone else could tag along. The bar was still covered in a mess of blood and Xigbar started cleaning it up, using it as means to take his mind off what happened, "…So which one is it?"

There was no need to ask what he was referring to and Riku told him, with a noticeable vagueness "The usual problem scum." Roxas couldn't hear what they were talking about and he looked around, wondering where Sora was. The door leading downstairs was open and he assumed he'd gone through there. He got to his feet with a slight wince, body still horribly sore for more than one reason. Over the past week and a half Axel dragged him on all sorts of missions that usually put their lives in danger and routinely fucked him until it felt like his life was in danger. His head healed but there were bruises on his wrists and torso he worked carefully to hide from his brother and the others, not wanting to explain where he got them from or how much he enjoyed what caused them.

Roxas started down the stairs, trying to avoid stepping in the blood trail Zexion left; he'd seen enough blood, most of which was his own and caused by Axel. Things were getting better bit by bit, or in some cases bite by bite, and Roxas didn't mind. As a matter of fact he was used to staying around Axel and all the things the pyro did, and even if it wasn't as true as it once was he continued to say how much he hated him.

"Sora? You down here?" he asked, looking around the lab. It was cold and grim as ever and he found the silence unsettling. There was no response but he didn't want to go back upstairs and get caught up in the others issues. Just as he sat down in one of the computer chairs the elevator doors opened, nobody inside and nobody at the switch. Finding it just a little too eerie Roxas considered going back upstairs but the question of what was going on was too nagging to ignore. The ride to the lowest level of the club was quiet save for the noise of the gears and mechanics in the elevator turning and working and as usual one of the lights flickered and threatened to go out.

Once in the garage he felt his unease grow tenfold. The airport hanger sized room was the same as ever with the exception of the hastily parked airship.

"_It broke out just as we were landing and attacked him."_

"_How did it get out?" _

"_The lock was completely shattered on the cage."_

He remembered what they said and his eyes followed the blood trail to the open door of the airship. What was it that did that to Zexion? Was it safe to even be down here? This might be his only chance to get a look at whatever the sins caught though and that thought alone gave him the courage to follow the trail, into the airship and down into the hull. The lights were off and he felt around on the wall for a switch, regretting it when he saw what the light revealed.

"You shouldn't be down here."

Roxas spun around and saw Axel sitting at the top of the stairs, not looking mad though. "…Why is he in a cage?" he asked, looking back at the sleeping blonde man who couldn't have been much older than Axel.

"Because he'd try to kill us if he got out," Axel said, watching him go over to the cage and lean down for a better look.

That didn't make sense. He looked like much less of a threat than the sins, "What do you mean?"

"He's a holy virtue," Axel explained, still not moving from his place on the stairs, "Diligence to be exact."

Roxas was confused, "A holy virtue?" He'd heard of the deadly sins but never holy virtues.

"They're the only things that can easily kill us. Chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, forgiveness, kindness, and humility, one to counter each sin," Axel told him, being surprisingly loose with information on the matter, "Their personified existence is a threat to society. Religious genocide is the best way to describe it."

"What are you going to do with him?" Roxas had to ask though he already had a good idea of what they planned to do.

"Interrogate him and get as much information about their kind as possible so we can snub out the rest of them. After that we're going to kill him," Axel didn't bother trying to tidy up the truths and he stood up to leave without another word.

Roxas assumed he was expecting him to follow and just as he was getting up the man in the cage woke, "Which one are you?" Roxas froze and he grabbed his ankle through the bars, pulling him so he lost his footing, "Which one are you?"

Roxas panicked and tried to scoot away, only to have him grab his other ankle, "Axel!" he shouted for help as he dug her nails deep into his skin and pulled him towards the cage. Almost immediately Axel was back in the room and pulled him free of his grip, "Leave him alone Cloud!" Axel barked, helping Roxas to his feet, "He's not one of us." The blonde man didn't take his narrowed stare off of Roxas and it made him very uncomfortable, as if he was staring right into his soul.

"He's supposed to stay in bed for a few days," Luxord told them as he came back downstairs after putting Zexion to bed, "It wasn't easy kidnapping him from a hospital."

"He'll be okay though right?" Xigbar asked and they were all relieved when Luxord nodded. They assumed Demyx was with him since he still hadn't come downstairs and would only do so after he woke up. They all looked over just as the door leading downstairs opened and in walked Axel, followed closely by Roxas who seemed to be favoring his right ankle. "Sit," Axel instructed, pointing to a barstool and Roxas did so without complaint, "Luxord, bandage up his ankle, the nuisance downstairs grabbed him."

There was no movement or response and Axel headed for the stairs, freezing when he heard Luxord's comment, "Wasting supplies on prey that you're supposed to be responsible for…Very amusing Axel."

"If you have something to say then don't pretty it up with words," Axel insisted, turning and clearly annoyed by the comment intended to strike nerves.

"I'm just saying your attention to this responsibility is taking dominance over others and that's a problem," Luxord said as he headed for the barstool, not minding that his crude remarks were angering Axel and making Roxas feel lower than dirt. He heard the hasty footsteps behind him and unhooked the watch around his wrist, letting the metal slip down to around his hand and he clenched his fist around the glass face before turning and socking Axel in the gut with his metal clad fist just as the sin was about to attack him. With the wind knocked out of him from such a powerful blow Axel struggled to keep his balance while refusing to lean on Luxord for support, "If you ever try something stupid like that again I'll aim for your skull," Greed warned. He'd existed for almost two centuries and easily surpassed Axel in strength and rank, his threat holding substance and genuine warning.

Axel slumped down to his knees as soon as Luxord withdrew his fist and while he readjusted his watch Axel tried to catch his breath. Luxord looked at Roxas and glanced down at his ankle, noticing the blood staining the white sock and simply saying, "I see no need in wasting our supplies on him. If you want him treated do it yourself. Shouldn't be a problem since you care about him so much."

Luxord and the other sins all looked at Axel as he laughed breathlessly, "Care about him? Y-you think I care about the life of some worthless human being?...Believe me, if it wasn't for that fuck he'd be long gone and I wouldn't care." Axel got to his feet, rubbing his sore gut and glaring past Luxord to Roxas, "Go ahead and kill him, see if I bat an eye."

Roxas said nothing, just staring back at Axel and wishing the blood would drain from his body quicker than the slow pace currently from his ankle. None of the sins moved except for Axel who walked past Luxord, deliberately bumping against his shoulder as he headed for Roxas. Without a word of protest Roxas was jerked to his feet, "If you won't kill him then leave me and my _responsibilities_ alone," Axel spat before dragging Roxas for the door leading back downstairs.

Hesitantly Roxas glanced back only to find every single set of eyes weighing down upon him and once he met them he couldn't look away. His ankle ached though and he slipped towards the bottom of the stairs, still looking up at the doorway nobody could see him from anymore. He hit the stair just below with enough force he knew his knee would be bruised. When Axel tried to help him up though Roxas pulled his hand away and got up on his own, ignoring the pain in his ankle and the disapproving look Axel gave him. He continued to follow him down into the garage and to the same black car he'd been brought to this hell in, "We're going to visit an investor who called this morning," Axel informed him as he opened the driver's door and unlocked the other side.

"I didn't ask where we were going," Roxas said shortly as he opened the other door and sat in the passenger seat, buckling up and shutting his door. Only a few seconds later Axel reopened it and got down on his knees, grabbing Roxas' ankle and pulling the pant leg up. Roxas didn't protest or look at him as he wrapped up the fresh cuts but he did ask, "So you can be nice to me when the others aren't around?"

In one quick movement Axel grabbed the lever on the side of the seat and pushed it back, swooping over Roxas and using one hand to keep him pinned down to the seat, "When have I ever been _nice_ to you?" Roxas didn't move nor did his stare falter, a first and proving he was no longer intimidated by him. Realizing he had no affect on him Axel stood back up and shut the door, going back around to the other door and getting in while Roxas straightened up his seat. His straight posture didn't last though as the hour ticked by, slouching down and resting his head against the cool glass window. Another hour ticked by in silence, not even the radio interrupting the silent night, and Roxas slipped off into sleep. By then they were outside of the city and in another county which was noticeably less modernized, but he was too zoned out to take in the new sights.

The car stopped at a light and Axel slouched back, rubbing his hands together and staring up at the red light. There were no other cars coming from either side and he saw no point in stopping other than to rest his cramping hands, "This is…Roxas?" he realized the vehicle's other occupant was sleeping curled up in the seat, mouth slightly agape and his slow breaths leaving fog on the window his head rested on.

Axel looked back up at the light and drummed his fingers on the storage compartment dividing the two seats impatiently. His fingers stopped their dull noise though when he heard a grumble from the sleeping passenger. Did he say something? Axel listened and after a few moments heard another mumble, his face distorting as the inaudible words left his lips and they left another trail of fog on the glass. A bad dream? Axel contemplated waking him up as his protests became more distinct and his fingers twitched occasionally.

Before he could do anything a loud car horn from behind them rang through the silence and Roxas' eyes shot open as he sat straight up, his hands shooting out so one pressed against the window and the other grabbed onto Axel's. Realizing the honk was intended to alert Axel the light was green he drove ahead, one hand on the wheel and the other still clutched tightly by Roxas'. As Roxas calmed down he realized he was clinging to Axel's hand and tried to let go, Axel's fingers closing around his as soon as his grip loosened, "You were having a bad dream."

Roxas didn't say anything, instead just pulling his hand away easily and leaning back against the window without the intention of sleeping. Axel glanced over at him, noticing his eyes staring straight ahead but not looking at anything. Something had definitely shaken him and Axel wondered what it was, "How's your ankle?"

"Fine," was all Roxas said, not looking over at him or acknowledging him in any other way. Axel sighed and looked back at the road ahead, unable to take the silence any more and reaching over to turn on the radio.

"Why are we at a place like this?" Roxas asked as he stared up at large glass windows, aged stone walls, and high rooftops. It was the most aged and picture perfect church he'd ever seen and it was no place for sin, let alone a living and breathing sin.

Axel parked the car and took the keys out of the ignition, silencing the loud radio, "An investor is meeting me here. Wait in the car." He was surprised when Roxas said nothing in protest but just as he unlocked the doors Roxas spoke up, "It was just a bad dream." Axel looked back and saw Roxas wasn't looking at him as he explained, "Earlier…I had a bad dream."

"What happened?" Axel asked pretending to ask just to bide time from the weather outside.

"…I died."

Axel left without another word and Roxas didn't watch him go, continuing to stare out the window at the rainy weather outside as his breath formed fog against the window. Minutes passed and the temperature in the car fell. Without the heat of the vehicle or another's presence Roxas had to zip up his jacket and hunker down into the seat. A thought crossed his mind and he unbuckled, leaning over into the backseat and retrieving a blanket they'd left there earlier in the week. What happened on and under the blanket he didn't try to remember, rather pulling the warm cloth around his body.

There was a familiar scent to the blanket and it took a few minutes to realize he was smiling, quickly pulling his face out of the blanket and getting fresh air. The weather was worsening and he was more than ready to go home to…As soon as the thought crossed his mind he yelled into the blanket, smothering out the noise. What home did he have to go back to? The home he'd managed while his brother led a secret life was probably on the market now and the place he slept every night now he wouldn't consider his home by any means. Home was a place you could return to in any condition and have a warm bed and someone to greet you. With the description in mind he looked down at the blanket he held tighter to his body. He'd returned to Axel's room in all sorts of conditions, usually cause by Axel himself, and who greeted him when he got there? Axel…

Burying his face back into the blanket he inhaled the sharp scent again, warming up greatly but no smile on his face this time. Did he have a new place to call home? A new person to come home to?

"_Care about him? Y-you think I care about the life of some worthless human being?...Believe me, if it wasn't for that fuck he'd be long gone and I wouldn't care." Axel got to his feet, rubbing his sore gut and glaring past Luxord to Roxas, "Go ahead and kill him, see if I bat an eye."_

The words hit harder than the sins knew and Roxas hated himself for caring. Even if Axel wasn't a good host he was more or less the only person he had left to rely on. Knowing he'd be willing to throw away his life so carelessly cut deeper than Roxas thought it would. He shouldn't care about what Axel thought. He told himself that again and again, burying his face deeper into the blanket and suffocating himself with the smell. He cared.

A roar of gunfire broke his thoughts and he leaned forward, staring up through the windshield at the windows above as bullets shattered through. He'd grown used to gunshots by now but there were so many he didn't know what to think or who was up there besides Axel. Panicking, Roxas grabbed the phone out of the cup holder and dialed Sora's number, the only one of the sins cells he had in memory. One ring. Three gunshots. Two rings. Seven gunshots. Three rings. Five gunshots. Then there was a bone chilling shatter of glass and Roxas looked up at the large window, breath catching as he saw Axel falling with all sizes of glass he'd taken out with him.

The phone, upon deaf ears, began the voicemail of his cheerful sounding brother while Roxas watched him fall. Disregarding the phone Roxas opened the door, tossing off the blanket and rushing towards Axel as he hit the ground after a three story fall, "Axel!!"

"Stay back!" it was a sharp order that, somehow, made Roxas freeze in his muddy footsteps. He watched Axel struggle to push himself up, his body cut and torn from the glass and the sight made Roxas' stomach churn uneasily, "Get the hell back in the car!!" Roxas didn't move, frozen to the spot until Axel shouted, "NOW!"

Swallowing the lump in his throat Roxas turned and quickly got back in the car, pulling the blanket over his head as he heard more gunfire. For the first time he was genuinely scared senseless, breathless sobs coming out in heavy fog. He felt around the car floor for the phone he discarded, praying his brother would pick up as he found and dialed the number clumsily. Once again Sora didn't answer and Roxas felt hope dying fast, cautiously looking up over the dashboard at the fight.

Axel was back on his feet fighting off four other men who he should've been able to deal with quickly and without any issues whatsoever. These weren't ordinary people, Roxas knew that for fact. Despite being outnumbered Axel was able to hold his own but at the same time it was clear he couldn't last much longer and one blow to the head from behind was all it took to knock him to the ground. As soon as he was down Roxas saw the flash of glass and he ducked his head, cringing and letting out a mortified sob as he heard a horrible cry of agony from Axel. He felt so sick but had to know he was going to be okay, stifling his nerves after another howl and looking back over the dashboard only to see Axel crucified to the ground, both hands pinned off to the side with a shard of glass nearly the size of his head.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," Axel heard one of them say, Cid, unable to determine which he was though over the noise of the rain and his distorted consciousness.

Another leaned down and grabbed a fistful of his soaking wet, "Where are the others?"

"Burn in hell Tidus," Axel spat breathlessly, jerking his head free but lacking the energy and blood to move any further.

"Let's just kill him," the first insisted with a laugh, "We can find the others later."

"No," Axel recognized that voice and looked up at him out of the corner of his eye at Squall, "We've got to kill them all at once, otherwise their kind will just regenerate into another soul."

"Then since he's not talking let's just force the answers out of him," cackled a fourth voice, Seifer. Axel felt a new cut being formed across his wrist, slow and deep but his body ached so much one more cut did little, "Nothing wrong with a little torture. Besides, his friends will have to come find him eventually."

"Don't be so sure of it," said Squall snidely, "Nobody cares about this little bastard. Right Axel?"

Axel didn't speak. They'd come for him, he was sure of it. But he knew he had no right to be sure of it since Squall was right; nobody cared about him. Would they really just let him be tortured to death though and hunt down the new Wrath? And what about Roxas? It was only a matter of time before the group searched the vehicle for information about their hideout and they'd find Roxas there. What would they do to him?

Axel could feel a third cut being made on his wrist and began to feel his ties to consciousness fraying. All of a sudden though he heard an engine rev and the lights of the car he'd parked come on. Looking over at the almost blinding light he heard the wheels speed ahead directly at him. The group scattered and the car screeched to a stop right at his feet, barely inches from his shoes. The driver's door opened and Roxas hurried over to Axel, pulling the glass pinning his hands down out while ignoring his uneasy stomach. As soon as he was free he sat up and grabbed his jacket collar, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Helping you so get over it!" Roxas said, grabbing his arm and pulling it over his shoulder. Axel protested quite a lot as he was helped to his feet and they fled into the church, the group merely watching and not approaching as the doors shut behind them.

"What're your orders sir?" asked one of the men, Cid, looking to the one leading them, "Seifer sir?"

Seifer stared at the doors for a moment before going over to survey the car, looking under the dashboard on the driver's side and chuckling at the amateur hotwiring job that more or less fried itself. He stood back up and looked at the doors, "Kill them both."

"You idiot! I told you to stay in the car!" Axel snapped, wrenching his arm free and leaning on one of the pews to keep his balance as he pulled off his jacket and shirt, tearing the shirt to make bandages for his hands and wrists where the majority of blood loss was coming from. As he tried to mend himself quickly Roxas tried to barricade the doors, knowing it may bide them enough time for him to get in touch with his brother. Axel joined his efforts, ignoring his aching body and knowing they were in trouble. With three pews and a toppled statue in front of the door they were both exhausted from their rapid work and had to rest, "…Where'd you learn to hotwire a car?"

"Basic physical science can be applied to anything," Roxas panted, relieved when Axel laughed but having to add to his boasting, "But I think I killed the car in the process."

"So we're screwed?" Axel asked with a laugh in his voice. Roxas didn't answer but he tried to force a laugh, clear unease showing through. Then Axel said something that surprised Roxas, "If you believe in a God then I suggest you pray to him now."

Roxas watched him sit in a pew and try to recuperate, his eyes intent on Roxas as he made his way down to the alter. Could God really help them now? In a time when they were outnumbered, overpowered, and trapped was there anyone that could help them? There was only one way to know, and Roxas got down on his knees to resort to their last option while Axel loaded his last three bullets into his gun. A crack erupted from the door as the wood was strained and Roxas looked back in fear but Axel ordered with a noticeable lack of strictness, "Keep praying…We're facing the virtues themselves." Roxas didn't obey right away, looking at Axel who returned the stare intently and assured him, "Keep praying and don't look back. I'll put a hand on your shoulder when everything is okay."

Roxas nodded reluctantly and hung his head again, shutting his eyes and hearing, between the cracks of the door a very sincere and shocking, "Thank you." Finally he was sure the doors were open and he heard swearing, shouting, cries from both sides and gunfire. It carried on for barely three minutes but it felt like an eternity, Roxas continuing to pray and keep his eyes shut even in the silence that followed. It was deathly silent and even the rain seemed to stop hitting the rooftop high above his head. Finally he heard one set of feet approaching the alter. Remembering what Axel said he didn't look back, focusing on what Axel asked him to do up until the point he felt a hand on his shoulder.

A wave of fear rolled over him, knowing the cold hands didn't belong to Axel and he looked over his shoulder at the four sneering virtues in the room, eyes going straight to the barely visible body under one of the pews. It was a mess. It wasn't moving. It was what was left of Axel.

* * *

I meant to say this a while ago but I never got around to it. I'm entering the costumes for the sins in the state thespian costume contest! I recently read Dr. Faustus by Christopher Marlowe and the seven deadly sins are in it so I immediately plugged in my version of the sins. So I'm finishing up the costume designs and colorings this week and the competition is next Thursday.

That aside, how did you guys like it? Not too fond of the ending I imagine but do you honestly think I'm going to kill Axel this early in the story? I may enjoy suspense and drama but I don't think I'm that cruel. What's going to happen to Roxy though? Guess you'll just have to review until the next chapter! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	8. Sinful Revelations

Though my pirate story may be over this one is still going strong and with only one project on my plate updates for this story should come much more quickly! I apologize for the long wait, but with school, the musical, and lots of drama going on I haven't had time to write, proof, or post. I think this chapter will be worth the wait though and I'm happy with it. Lots going on and some stuff explained. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Sinful Revelations**

"Axel!" Roxas shouted and struggled as the virtue hauled him to his feet. Balling his fist he turned and socked Seifer right in the jaw, pulling his other arm away and grabbing a glass of the alter, shattering it across the virtue's face and running down the isle, "It's one of them!" shouted Seifer nursing his bleeding face.

"Get it!" another shouted nearby Axel.

Roxas tried to avoid him but the virtue charging him was too quick and easily grabbed him under the arms, restraining him tightly, "Where are the others?" Squall demanded.

"Screw you!" Roxas hissed, struggling and thrashing in his grip and just trying to get to Axel. They were outnumbered and with Axel down he feared their hopes of escaping were nonexistent.

Roxas glared at the approaching virtue who'd wiped his face clean of blood, "Which one is it? Check his back." Another virtue, Cid, came up and helped restrain Roxas while Squall jerked his jacket and shirt off. The baffled look on his face let the others know something was wrong, "…Sir, it's not a sin."

The one Roxas assumed was leading them looked at his back and grumbled something under his breath before ordering, "Get lost." With a shove Roxas was released and the virtues turned their attention back to Axel, leaving him in the isle. Roxas stood there silently, wondering what just happened and why they were letting him go. He put a hand on his shoulder and glanced over at his back, what were they looking for? Not about to look a blessing in the eye he pulled his shirt and jacket back on and headed for the door as quickly as possible. This was his chance to escape both the virtues and the sins. He could run back to the town and start a new life far away from his captors.

Just as he was climbing through the barricade in front of the large doors he froze as his hand touched something warm. Lifting it and looking at his palm he found it covered in blood that wasn't his own. Looking down at the pew he saw a large smear of it and his eyes followed the trails and splatters back to Axel, who he could see better from this angle. The virtues were standing around him discussing what to do with the mutilated sin. Roxas looked away and back out the open doors, doors leading to his freedom, then back to Axel.

"Let's just kill him."

"But he could be a bargaining chip."

"For what? They haven't got anything of ours anymore. Besides, who'd trade for this thing?"

Tidus opened his mouth to speak but instead howled with pain as he was struck hard across the head and knocked over into a pew, striking his head against the wood and knocking him out. The other three virtues turned quickly, spotting Roxas with a metal cross about the size of a baseball bat that once hung on the wall by the door. Squall lunged for him but Roxas fled back down the isle to the alter. The virtue was catching up quickly and he had to turn and swing, he missed though and Squall grabbed the cross. While Seifer tended to their unconscious ally Cid rose and drew a gun from his belt and aimed for Roxas. Before he could fire though a hand grabbed his ankle and engulfed him with flames.

Roxas heard the shouts of agony and looked down the isle at the virtue on fire as he fell and tried to smother the flames, only setting the carpet on fire as well. He couldn't help but smile a little, spotting the hand that caused the fire only moments ago now pushing Axel up off the ground. Unintentionally he let his guard down and the virtue he was struggling with, Squall, wrenched the cross out of his hand and struck him hard over the head with the metal side. Yelping and clutching his head Roxas fell backwards, his ears ringing but fortunately not feeling any blood coming from his skull. As soon as he opened his eyes he regretted it and braced himself for what he saw coming, a cry escaping his lips as the sharp end of the cross was stabbed right through his chest.

"Should've run while you had the chance kid," Squall said, drawing the cross back and watching Roxas writhe in pain. He raised his arm to deal a finishing blow, freezing when the temperature in the church shot up astronomically. Looking down the isle he saw Axel was on his feet and had set the ceiling on fire, weak boards falling already.

"Squall, we're leaving! Now!" Seifer shouted down the isle, snapping his partner out of his daze. Squall looked down at Roxas briefly before discarding the cross and hurrying out with the others.

Axel watched them flee and knew he had to get out too, the fire spreading quickly over the dusty old church. He hurried for the door, freezing just as he got a foot up on the first pew of the barricade. Roxas wasn't behind him. He looked back down the isle, easily spotting him lying on the floor, wounded and coughing through the smoke. The ceiling was falling in around him but he hadn't been burned yet. He should just leave him there and get rid of his burden and responsibility. Once free of him he'd be free of the taunting from the others, his constant protesting, and any commitments. Assuring himself he was better off running away did little because Axel knew Roxas had the same chance earlier and yet he came back, risked his own life and bided Axel the time he needed to recover. There wasn't time to waste though and Axel cursed himself before running back down the isle, jumping and avoiding the flames he himself caused. Once out of his hand he couldn't control them at all and could easily get burned.

"Hang on little nuisance," Axel insisted, picking Roxas up in his arms hastily as the blond coughed painfully, one hand over his mouth and the other over the hole in his chest. A large section of the ceiling fell in entirely just as Axel cleared the area and hurried over the barricade, unsteady due to all the blood loss but focusing on his balance and keeping his head low. Jumping out of the doors and into the cold and somewhat clean air the first thing he saw was the group before him. To one side were Riku, Luxord, and Zexion; Zexion seated in the car, Luxord leaned against the door, and Riku sitting on the hood. To the other side stood Seifer, Squall, and Cid with an unconscious Tidus over his shoulder; four of the seven holy virtues.

Axel just stared from party to party, neither of which even acknowledging him. He was to blame for their being here and he knew that, positive Zexion felt his pains and alerted the others.

"With a four against four there's no point in fighting," Cid said, though they both had one on their side who couldn't fight.

"A truce for the time being goes without saying," Luxord agreed, reaching through the car window and pulling out a bag of medical supplies. Axel's wounds needed treating since none of them were truly safe from death.

Axel spotted it and sighed, "Good, treat Roxas. He's getting blood on me."

"Why bother?" Squall said calmly, "The boy is dead."

When had the coughing ceased? When did the last breath leave his lungs? When did Roxas die so easily in his arms? He looked down at the peaceful face, his eyes shut and mouth slightly agape still. Somehow Roxas died right in his arms without him even realizing it. Roxas was so fragile, a fact Axel never acknowledged until now.

"He was innocent. I thought your kind didn't approve of killing the innocent," Riku said as the virtues turned to leave.

Seifer stopped and looked back at him with a slight smirk on his face, "He made it quite clear whose side he was on. We gave him a chance to run Pride, don't fool yourself into thinking we're the bad guys."

"You are the bad guys Humility," Riku insisted, not moving to go after them, "Bring him back."

"Why should we bother? The boy got in our way," Seifer replied though the others stopped when he did.

"Because he didn't deserve to die!" Axel snapped, surprising them all. Nobody spoke and Axel's grip on the corpse tightened noticeably, "He didn't do anything wrong. He deserves to live, regardless of whose side he's on!"

* * *

The body was warm. There was breath coursing through his lungs and a beat in his chest, pure signs of life. Roxas had been alive for hours, sleeping silently in Axel's bed with the sin sitting beside him on the mattress. Axel's wounds had been treated and Roxas' were nonexistent, vanishing when he was given a second chance at life by their enemy. How much longer would he sleep though? Axel needed him to wake up because…because of some reason he wasn't sure of. Possibly he just wanted to know he was okay, or maybe he just wanted to curse him for being weak and dying on him. At the same time, after cleaning him up, he didn't want him to wake up at all.

'_It doesn't make sense…'_ he thought, remembering the number he saw on his back, _'It wasn't there before so why now? And how?' _His mind was torn and his head throbbing, "You can't be one of them…" He silenced as Roxas rolled over, eyes opening slightly and looking across the bed. As he realized where he was though he sat up abruptly, jumping when he saw Axel sitting beside him.

"Welcome back," was all Axel said at first, shocked when he saw anger in Roxas' eyes, "What?" Much more to his alarm Roxas smacked him across the face with surprising force, eyes watering up quickly as he lunged in and clung to Axel's chest. Confused but not about to push him away Axel held onto him, "My head hurts…Axel what's going on?"

"Those people you saw earlier were four of the holy virtues," Axel answered, surprisingly open with information, "And you're alive now because of them." Roxas didn't say anything, nor did he have any more questions it seemed. Axel could tell he was in pain and he pried himself free of Roxas' grip so he could go to the bathroom and retrieve a bottle of very strong but effective painkillers. Much to his surprise Roxas followed him like a chick would it's mother hen, and with the same look of 'don't leave me behind' in his eyes. Axel picked him up under the arms and set him down on the counter before rummaging through the medicine cabinet, full of prescription strength drugs and quite a few illegal ones as well, "Here we go," he said as he pulled out the bottle and uncapped it.

Roxas took the drugs without question and without bothering to look at the bottle, a trust that surprised Axel more and more, "Come on, back to bed," Axel said, trying to lead him out of the bathroom but Roxas didn't budge and he stared back at him questioningly.

"…I had my chance…I had my chance to run," Roxas said, not looking at him or even seeming to know he was there, "I could have left you to die at their hands and run away Axel! I thought about doing it, I really did…But I couldn't." Axel didn't say anything, surprised by how utterly depressed Roxas looked and sounded. "I'm sorry," Roxas mumbled, "We could've both been rid of each other."

"So why didn't you run?" Axel asked, wondering what his reasons were.

Roxas hesitated to answer and he continued to stare at the tile floor for quite some time before finally answering under his breath, "Because I didn't want them to hurt you…I'm sorry I'm still here." That was when Axel realized something: Roxas didn't know he almost left without him. In the haze of pain and smoke he must've lost track of time and not noticed Axel's delayed rescue.

"Well I'm glad you came back."

Roxas looked up quickly, his expression lifting a bit when he heard Axel say, "You're part of the routine now Roxas so without you things would get pretty dull." Life was returning to his eyes and Axel led him back to the other room where he put him to bed, "Get some rest. I'll explain things in the morning." Roxas nodded and rolled onto his side so he could face Axel as he sat in bed beside him just as he had all night. In no time the blond was back to sleep and Axel ran a hand through his hair and down his cheek, putting a finger under his chin and lifting his face up carefully, _'What am I going to do with you?'_"A meeting?"

* * *

"Yes," Riku nodded as he came up from behind the bar, "Humility contacted me late last night and he wants to set up a 'peaceful' meeting."

Axel didn't find anything about the virtues 'peaceful' though, "Well you can call him back and tell him we're not interested."

"It's not a matter of 'we' Axel," Riku said while he dried out some of the glasses and stacked them back on the shelves, "The only person they're interested in talking to is Roxas." Axel was shocked to say the least. He found it a bit odd that Riku wanted to talk to him, alone for that matter, but what he said next made the reason clear, "And I think you know why they want to meet him."

Axel said nothing at first then a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said, making it quite clear he did know something.

"For once in your life don't be stupid Axel!" Riku said sharply, turning back and slamming the glass on the counter in front of Axel, "So far he's been nothing but a complication, and not just for you. That stunt you pulled last week at the church was enough to get us all killed and dragging him, a normal person, along only made the situation worse."

"There's nothing 'normal' about that nuisance who, if you recall, you said we should keep around," Axel taunted coldly, having a surprising sense of confidence this morning, "Besides the only way he's complicated your life is in stealing Sora from you."

Riku drummed his fingers on the rim on the glass, wondering what was wrong with him, and explaining, "The cover-up job and your medical bills were a complication in themselves. The point is you know something that they know and keeping it from us is going to get you into serious trouble."

"With who? You?" Axel scoffed and stood up, "In case you haven't caught on in 120 years, I don't care what happens to you bastard." He turned to leave and about three steps away turned and caught the glass he knew Riku threw at his head, "Nice try. You can only kill me once." As soon as he was gone Riku slammed his fist down onto the bar, cursing the sin's name under his breath. Something was going on and he had to find out what before their existence was put at risk.

* * *

"What do you think you're doing?" Axel demanded, looking at the clean room in confusion. He left while Roxas slept a few hours ago to get some work done and came back only to find the space tidy and the blinds open allowing bright light to come.

Roxas looked up at him from the other side of the bed where he was pulling junk out from underneath it, "It's called cleaning and our room needed it."

"_Our_ room?" Axel scoffed as he looked around the organized space.

"Yes, _our_ room," Roxas replied boldly, "I'm in here just as much as you are so I have every right to call it mine too."

"Do you pay rent?" Axel asked sharply, not liking how comfortable Roxas was making himself in an environment he took pride in having to himself.

Roxas got to his feet and crossed his arms, "Do you?" Ofcourse not and Roxas was literally challenging him to say something. Axel crossed to him and glared through him sharply, both hands grabbing the front of his shirt. Roxas didn't falter though, remaining firm and clearly not scared of him. When it became clear Axel had no effect on him he let go and walked away in frustration while Roxas resumed his cleaning. Since his second chance at life Roxas had become surprisingly bold and wasn't afraid to speak up. He was used to Axel and familiar with everything he did, not fazed anymore by the threats and looks Axel once kept him in line with.

"So apparently the virtues want to meet with you," Axel said while staring out the window, grinning a bit when he heard Roxas' rummaging cease. He was afraid and even if he wasn't afraid of him this was enough to please him, "I went ahead and told Riku you weren't interested. I mean it's not like-"

"I'll meet with them," Roxas said, taking Axel back in shock and the sin turned back from the window as Roxas said, "If they want to meet with me then they must have a good reason."

"Ah, so you'll meet with the scum that killed you?" Axel asked quickly, unable to believe this.

Roxas just shrugged, "I don't see why not. After all, blood loss might've been a contributing factor but that combined with smoke inhalation killed me. So if I still talk to you why shouldn't I talk to them?" he asked with a grin, enjoying the frustration in Axel's expression. He pulled a box out from under the bed while Axel scowled out the window, quietly fuming to himself. As soon as he took the lid off the box Roxas knew he found something he probably shouldn't have. Pictures, a ring, and assorted notes.

He stared down at his find, glancing nervously at Axel for a moment before reaching into the box and pulling out the pictures. They were beyond old but looked as though they were fairly well taken care of. The first was what looked like a family photo but Axel looked horribly out of place and Roxas reminded himself that he'd been adopted and this must've been the family. Judging from their attire the parents were very well off and dressed elegantly, and there was a little girl there, younger than an already young Axel. Did he have a little sister too? She looked as though she was actually from the parents in the picture unlike Axel.

Roxas flipped to the next picture and found an older Axel with the girl Roxas assumed was his little sister but he didn't look happy, nor did he look mad. What was most interesting to Roxas was that he didn't look like the emotionally dead wreck all the sins were. _'Before the experiment,'_ Roxas thought, wondering why he didn't look happy though unlike his sister.

The next few pictures were a bit surprising to say the least and Roxas almost gasped, catching himself to keep from letting Axel know what he was doing. "Shouldn't be looking at things that aren't yours," Axel said and Roxas looked over his shoulder, spotting him right behind him and quickly putting the pictures back in the box. Axel sat on the bed casually and lay down, putting his hands behind his head and sighing, "Awful day that was."

Roxas said nothing for several moments, realizing Axel wasn't mad and pulling the pictures back out, staring at the ones that shocked him. A wedding. The bride was happy, Axel was not. He could remember the first evening he spent with the sins, listening to their explanations and watching his first fight between Riku and Axel. He remembered Riku mentioning a fiancé but he never thought much into that until now, "I never knew you were married."

"I wouldn't have called us married," Axel mumbled vaguely.

Roxas was curious though and he scooted over to the bed, looking at the pictures in his hand and asking, "So you married your adopted sister?"

"It was arranged. About a year after the Himichi's adopted me they had her and figured it would be easier to keep the wealth in the family if they paired us together," Axel explained, being surprisingly loose with his answers.

Roxas looked up at him, figuring he'd ask as many questions as he could while he was this open, "So you're a Himichi?"

Axel scoffed and shook his head though, staring up at the ceiling and not at Roxas, "They weren't my parents and they never acted like parents to me so I refuse to use their name. I kept my original surname; Tybalt." Roxas held in a snicker, finding the name more than unusual and instead paging through the pictures while Axel continued, "My so called wife was young and a bit of a whore but her parents never acknowledged the blunt and plain to see truth."

"You knew Riku?"

Axel looked over at him and snatched away the picture he was looking at. It was clearly taken in a bar and Axel remembered exactly why they were laughing, chuckling a little to himself and not about to share that memory, "Yeah, a few years after the wedding we took a trip to London and while she was off whoring around I met that bastard."

Roxas knew there was more to the story and figured asking was worth a shot, "Why do you hate each other?" After a long silence Axel set the picture on fire, burning away the photographed remains of their happiness. Roxas watched the black smoke rise to the ceiling and vanish, "Axel what happened?"

"That bastard is the reason I am what I am," Axel swore, sitting up and his temper rising. Roxas was shocked to hear that and with his temper rising Roxas didn't want to make him angrier. Even if he didn't fear him anymore he felt like he hadn't truly seen Axel at his angriest yet. He put the pictures back in the box and put the lid back on, sliding the remains of Axel's old life back under the bed. The material remains could be sealed away, but Roxas could tell the memories were still there after 120 long years. But what happened? Why did the two sins hate each other so much? Was Riku really responsible for Axel being here?

* * *

"He's just looking to blame someone." Roxas sat on the barstool while Riku finished putting all the glasses put away, "Anything we did before the experiments isn't anything to dwell on. Axel was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Roxas said nothing, instead just staring at him. He didn't trust Riku at all, possibly less than any of the sins, but he wasn't sure why.

"I don't believe you," Roxas said unintentionally, regretting when he said it but unable to take it back.

Riku turned back to him with a grin that made Roxas uncomfortable and trust him even less, "I really don't care." Roxas looked away and Riku leaned against the bar with his arms folded, "You shouldn't trust any of us more than we trust you." Roxas still didn't look back and Riku laughed a bit in his throat, "You want to know how it happened?"

Roxas quickly looked back. Would he really tell him the truth after what he just said? Did he even want to know what happened to make them what they were? "…All I want to know is how you guys went from how happy you looked in that bar to hating each other."

"He still has that picture?" Riku was a bit surprised and Roxas didn't mention how it was nothing but black smoke now, "Well in that case maybe you should know. That picture was taken shortly after Axel caught his wife with some man twice her age in his own bed and shortly after I killed Jack."

"Jack?" Roxas was surprised to learn more about why Axel went there, details Axel hadn't spared, but he had no idea who Jack was.

"Jack the Ripper. I worked under him and took over when his work got sloppy," Riku said casually and Roxas both paled and tensed noticeably, things Riku noticed but said nothing about, "Anyways I was at the bar to celebrate and he was there to drown his rage with booze. We talked for a while and, after the booze and concept of friendship opened him up, Axel told me about his wife. Naturally I offered to get rid of her, free of charge since he was a friend. Axel was reluctant though and said he'd give her one more chance and said he'd be back the next night with his final decision. Axel didn't come back though…" he trailed off when they heard the door upstairs open and Axel came out onto the landing, looking around for something or someone.

When Axel saw them at the bar he immediately knew what was going on and he started down the stairs. Riku checked his watch and decided there were better things he could do with his morning than argue with Axel or explain things to Roxas. Before he turned to leave though he leaned in and said, under his breath so only Roxas could hear, "I know there's something you're hiding. Don't think for a second you two are fooling me." Roxas' face fell as Riku stood back up straight and turned to leave, passing Axel on his way to the stairs.

"Riku. I'll meet with them," Roxas called after him. Riku waved without looking back, acknowledging him without effort. Axel glared after him before going directly to Roxas and grabbing his arm, "What were you two talking about?" Roxas didn't answer and Axel let him go with a shove and a frustrated sigh, "Look, don't believe anything he says. You shouldn't trust any of us more than we trust you."

Roxas froze and looked at him when those words left his mouth. They were the exact same ones Riku used only moments ago, "…So how much should I trust you?"

Before Axel could answer the door leading downstairs opened and in came Luxord and Zexion. Luxord made a beeline for the alcohol and Zexion sat at the bar while paging through a clipboard of information he seemed engulfed in. Axel and Roxas just stared at each other, Roxas waiting for an answer and Axel not about to give one with others in the room. With yet another sigh of frustration Axel turned and headed for the stairs, brushing past Sora who'd just come downstairs with a fresh red mark on his neck which meant he'd passed Riku in the hall upstairs. Roxas rolled his eyes at both his brother and his captor before leaning his head against the bar.

"Here."

He looked up as Luxord set a drink in front of him.

"It will make you feel better," Greed insisted casually as he made himself a drink of his own. Roxas stared at the purple concoction with unease, was there alcohol in it?

Sora answered his question as he recognized the drink, "Luxord he can't have that, he's too young."

"Not here he isn't. If he doesn't want to that's fine too," Luxord made it clear he didn't care either way as he finished his drink and headed for the stairs leading back down to the lab.

Sora shook his head though, "Don't drink it Roxas."

"I may not be as old as these people but I am old enough to make my own decisions," Roxas said firmly and just to prove he meant it he took a large gulp of the drink which tasted oddly of grapefruit. The after bite though hit shortly after that though and he winced as his throat burned painfully and Sora laughed. Roxas didn't laugh though and though his now hoarse voice he said, "I don't like him."

"Who? Luxord?" Sora asked, understanding why he wouldn't, "He's a bit of an egotistical hassle."

"Not him…Riku," Roxas said, wondering how Sora would react to that, "Something about him isn't right."

Sora stood up and hugged his brother, "Be nice. He's important to me. You've just got to get to know him." And with that said Sora let go and went behind the bar casually, leaving Roxas there to think, _'I don't want to get to know him. I want to get away from him.'_

* * *

Hm, does Roxas have reason to be uneasy? I already know and won't tell you yet but I think it's quite clear that Riku's right and that Roxas and Axel are hiding something. Thank you guys for all of your lovely reviews in the last chapter! I'm still very sorry you had to wait so long to find out what happened and promise to update more quickly next time. Until then please review and let me know what you thought about this chapter! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	9. Sinful Virtues

Sorry but since I'm not feeling that great and my head hurts I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I know it's been a while since I've updated but I needed a bit of a break (which I didn't really get thanks to rehearsals). I'm back now though and have already gotten about half of the next chapter done! Hope you enjoy and thank you so much for the reviews of the last chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Sinful Virtues**

White walls and white floors made the open room feel far colder than it actually was. At least the sins' base, though a bit gloomy, was more welcoming than this; far more discreet too. On the other side of town, further east than the area Roxas used to call home, was an upper class neighborhood. Each house sat on acres of land that was neatly cut and one of the most normal looking homes was home of the seven virtues.

"Welcome," Roxas had met this virtue already and said nothing in reply to Tidus, a boy that looked almost younger than him but sporting a medical patch over a wound Roxas himself had given him not too long ago. Without a word Roxas went inside and Tidus shut the door before leading him through the foyer. His appearance didn't fool Roxas and he knew the virtue could quite possibly be over a century year old just like the sins. Like Tidus, the virtues' abode looked normal and as though nothing shady was going on inside or out. Did they have a lab below this façade like the sins did? Garage? Certainly they couldn't house an aircraft in a residential area like this, but then again so much logic had already been defied lately Roxas wouldn't be surprised.

Tidus led him upstairs and opened a set of double doors straight ahead. The four virtues in the room immediately ceased their conversations and looked over at the two in the doorway, "This is him," Tidus said as he nodded to Roxas.

"I can see that," Seifer said as he beckoned Roxas to come in, "Don't state the obvious Tidus. In fact you shouldn't speak at all." Tidus said no more and Roxas didn't go in, not about to budge from the doorway even if it was too late to run.

"Ya can come in, we're not gonna kill ya," Cid insisted as the group who'd been huddled around the parlor table loosened up and spread about to sit down.

Roxas didn't buy their aura of hospitality though and curtly reminded them, "It's a little late to offer a warning like that isn't it?"

None of them said anything and instead Seifer introduced them, each virtue and their actual name, information Roxas wasn't interested it nor did he see why they were sharing. Tidus, still standing and silent as he was told, was Chastity. Cid, the older man who was on the couch with his arms hanging off the back in a posture that reminded Roxas of Xigbar, was introduced as Temperance. Squall, the brooding brunette sitting on a windowsill in the corner, was Patience. And Cloud, the one Roxas simply knew as the blonde who attacked Zexion and was responsible for the killings in London, was Diligence and he stood near Squall.

"And I'm Seifer; Humility," Seifer finished as he sat down in a lush armchair comfortably.

"What about the other two?" Roxas asked, keeping count as they were introduced and knowing there were only five of these 'people' in the room.

Seifer and the others shared a mixed reaction and he smirked a little before leaning in and saying, "Not here." Roxas didn't know what to say to that and he looked around the room uneasily. The malice in the air was unlike any he'd felt before, even around the sins, and he found it odd that the virtues claimed to be the good guys, "Sit down," Seifer said in more of an order than an offer.

Roxas, just to spite him and his false air of hospitality, sat down right on the floor where he stood. Tidus snickered and Cid threw his head back and laughed as he pointed out, "He's certainly been hanging out with Axel!"

"Have you?" Seifer questioned and the laughter immediately ceased.

Roxas held no shame or hesitation in his response, "Why are you asking questions you know the answer to?"

"That's right you're his toy," Squall commented smugly but Roxas didn't flinch.

Seifer cast him a look though that silenced him and put him back in his place, then he looked back to Roxas with an unsettling smile, "He's right you know. You're just a toy. Why are you staying with them?" Roxas didn't answer. "Why don't you run?" Roxas still didn't speak up. "You were killed after being dragged into it and do you think any of them would have cared if you didn't come back?"

"Axel would," Roxas insisted, "And so would Sora."

"There's only one thing Sora cares about," Cid said with a slight chuckle under his breath, all of them knowing exactly what he was talking about; or rather _who_ he was talking about.

Roxas didn't like the way they were talking about his brother, making fun of him when he wasn't even there to speak up against it, "And I can't run," he said to make them stop, "They wouldn't risk having information about them leaked."

"But they didn't stop you from coming here today," Squall pointed out, "Certainly they knew we could torture information out of you."

"Only proving how less like the holy virtues you are," Roxas held his breath after the words left his mouth. The word 'torture' made him uneasy and just from the look in their eyes he knew they wouldn't hesitate to carry out that threat.

Seifer's eyes' narrowed into a glare and when Roxas didn't flinch underneath his stare he only grew angrier, "Why did you come here?"

"Because you called me here," Roxas said simply, exhaling audibly and looking around at the virtues who seemed to almost be sizing him up. Maybe they were measuring him for his coffin with their eyes, or trying to determine which way would be easiest to tear him apart. Roxas knew he should've held his tongue but he also knew if anything happened Axel was probably waiting on the street corner. After seeing him discussing his history with Riku he refused to let him out of his sight for more than a few minutes.

Roxas heard someone coming up the stairs and looked back, wondering if Axel was simply impatient. Ofcourse not. This was the virtues' base and he was still injured from his last encounter with them. He wasn't bright but he wasn't stupid either. Instead Roxas saw a man with pitch black hair coming towards the door with a folder tucked under his arm. He glanced down at Roxas as he entered the room, going straight to Seifer and handing him the folder without a word.

"Roxas, this is Vincent. Since he's not much of a talker and what he does say is of little interest I figured I'd let you know he's Charity," Seifer said as he opened the folder and examined it's contents. Vincent didn't look up from the ground or even move a muscle, watching Seifer react to the information inside the folder. Roxas saw Seifer's eyes widen and he looked over the folder at him, then to Vincent, then back to the folder. Something was wrong and Roxas knew he needed to get out now. Seifer snapped his fingers though and Vincent vanished right before Roxas' eyes, reappearing behind him and out of his line of sight. Before he could realize where Vincent was he was struck across the head and his ties to consciousness were severed instantly.

None of the virtues budged an inch when Roxas was struck and fell over onto the carpet. Tidus did ask though, "What does his file say?"

"He's Atticus' son," was all Seifer had to say and they all became much more interested in his visit, "Check him."

"But we already-"

"Check again!" Seifer stood up and knocked his chair back in the process, silencing Tidus immediately. Tidus moved to do as he was told but Vincent reached down and beat him to it, gold clawed fingertips cutting right through the fabric just over his right shoulder. From anywhere in the room they could see the coin sized Roman numeral VII tattooed on his skin.

"How?" Cloud finally spoke up with the same question they were all asking.

Vincent went over and picked up the folder he brought in only moments ago, "Atticus had two sons. One with a normal woman and that child became our present day Envy after Atticus was killed. And the other…with our old lady Kindness."

"Sibyl?" Squall didn't know what to make of it all, "That should make sense since she disappeared pretty quick after we found out about her affair with the enemy."

"The sins took care of their half of the problem but she got away," Seifer mumbled, staring intently at the mark on Roxas' back, "But why now? There wasn't anything on either side of his back last time we checked."

"Love," when Tidus said that they all looked to him. He sunk a little under their stares but knew he owed an explanation, "Parents have an unconditional love for their children, regardless of how little time they spend with them. Knowing Sibyl she's kept an ear or eye on him in her hiding and when she heard he was killed, killed herself."

"Meaning she passed her power onto the next in line," Vincent mused, wondering what the odds were of that happening, "There's no other explanation though."

Cid whistled at the discovery and shook his head, "Man, didn't expect to find our missing link today."

"I'm sure we aren't the first to know," Squall said, reminding them of the whole reason Roxas was residing with the sins, "And if Axel's known about this for a while that means he's been withholding information crucial to their existence."

Nobody said anything for quite some time, everyone analyzing it all without so much as a breath. This was it. Roxas was their seventh member. "Why do you think Axel would do that?" Tidus asked, breaking the silence and dreading what would happen when Roxas woke up and they confronted him about it.

"Certainly not because Roxas asked him to," Squall said, "Just think about it. It's Axel; he must have some kind of selfish ulterior motive behind what he's doing."

Tidus got an idea and his enthusiasm lifted a little, "Why don't we mix things up a bit and call the sins now? When they find out what-"

Seifer cut him off though "No. They're going to find out on their own," he insisted with a sneer spreading across his lips, "Let them keep their little secret as long as they like, and when it finally comes out on it's own it'll be twice as devastating." Seifer laughed at the thought of the sins torn in half, those who wanted to protect Roxas and those who wanted him dead, "So we'll let him know we know. And when that day comes that the world he lives in falls apart he'll return to us."

* * *

Roxas opened his eyes groggily, blurry vision staring up at the ceiling high above. How his head ached and how his ears rang, but the comfortable bed was beyond welcoming and he rolled over onto his side, one arm reaching out for Axel. There was nothing there though and as he felt around the sheets for some other body he heard a voice that didn't belong to Axel.

"He's not there."

Roxas sat up instantly and looked across the bed to where Tidus stood. Neither one of them said anything but the door opened and in walked Seifer, "So you're finally awake Kindness."

Roxas instantly realized his shirt was torn and his hand shot to cover the number that he'd been hiding so carefully after Axel's elaborate warning, "Stay away from me!"

Seifer came right up to the side of the bed though, ignoring Roxas' glare and shout. He knelt down and bowed his head though, surprising Roxas with his actions, "We've been waiting for you."

"I'm leaving now," Roxas said as he got out of bed and headed for the door.

Nobody tried to stop him but Seifer did ask an important question, "Where will you go?" Roxas' steps stopped and Seifer knew he had his attention though he didn't look back at him, "Back to the sins?" There was no reply and Seifer stood up and turned to him, "Why?"

Roxas didn't answer right away, seeming to ask himself the same question, "Because…" and with a sudden vehemence in his response he turned and said, "Because I trust them more right now than I'll ever in a lifetime trust you."

"That's a very long lifetime now," Seifer said confidently. Immortality was a burden they all had to accept and it would be decades before Roxas realized how horrible of a curse it was, "When the sins learn what you are, a living and breathing member of their enemy, they'll kill you regardless of what your relationship may be."

"Axel knows and won't tell anyone," Roxas accidentally let it slip but didn't think much on what he'd just said. Instead he just turned back around and stepped out into the well lit hallway.

"I knew your mother."

Roxas froze in his steps.

"Your real mother Roxas. She was one of us."

Roxas didn't move an inch.

"She would have wanted you to-"

"Shut up!" Roxas' shout echoed throughout the manor. His frustration, tension, confusion, and all around mess of a life was eating away at what little sanity he had left.

"_Listen up because I'm not going to be the one blamed if you get killed. Things have changed…That number on your shoulder…"_

"The number is on your right shoulder because it marks you as an individual who does good deeds in God's name, part of the right hand of God," Seifer said, trying to make sense out of it for him though Roxas already heard that from Axel the morning after his revival.

"_And I'm part of the left hand because sins are performed as offensive acts in God's name."_

"There are fourteen of us in total. Seven virtues-"

"_-and seven sins. And they were created the same way we were."_

Though he heard Axel telling him almost the same information, hearing it from Seifer helped because he knew it was true, "Originals like myself were from experiments. While your brother was born with the curse and you inherited it after your mother killed herself."

"_You have to accept your existence now for what it is. And if the others find out…"_

"When the others find out you know what will happen," Seifer said confidently, "It's only a matter of time until you come back to us. You think Axel can keep your secret forever?...I have a question…Why do you think he's trying to protect you?"

"_Look I'm just trying to protect you because-"_

"Because I'm good in bed," Roxas declared, restating exactly what Axel had told him confidently, "…And because he says I'm not a total pain to have around."

* * *

Just as when Roxas entered the parlor on the other side of the city, when Roxas returned to the night club all the conversing sins stopped talking and looked over at him. He couldn't blame them for being suspicious, after all he'd just met with an enemy who they rivaled against. Nobody addressed him though and he looked amongst the groups in search of Axel, quite sure he would've been waiting downstairs to meet him, question him, then drag him up to bed (or the wall, or the shower, or even just the floor), but he wasn't to be found.

"He's upstairs," Riku said after watching him wander around the floor for a moment. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was looking for. Roxas looked to Riku and saw the clear distrust in his eyes as he searched through his expression for some kind of details about what happened. Uncomfortable as ever around him, Roxas didn't bother with a 'thank you,' instead hurrying upstairs. The entire way up he could feel Riku's eyes on him and he feared he could see straight through the jacket and thusly see the number on his shoulder.

Roxas was relieved when he turned the corner into the hallway, hurrying the rest of the way to the door. As soon as he opened it he saw something quite unexpected: Axel was sitting slouched over at the foot of the bed with his hands clasped together and his elbows on his knees, and he was just staring at the floor below. Roxas came in and shut the door, wondering why he was in such a daze and he asked as he came over, "Something wrong?"

Axel flinched a bit and looked up at him in surprise, "You came back?"

Roxas couldn't stop himself from latching onto him and nearly toppling him back onto the bed, "Ofcourse I came back!...I'm back Axel." In the silence that followed Roxas was genuinely awed. Did Axel really think he wasn't going to come back? Before he could ask there was a knocking on the door and though at first he ignored it, on the second knock Axel let go of Roxas and stood up to get the door.

Sora stood there and Roxas saw him past Axel, quickly going to see what he needed since he obviously hadn't come to see Axel, "Hey, what's up?" he asked, taking Axel's place at the door as the pyro wandered back into the room.

"What's up?" Sora mocked, "You've been gone all day! Where've you been?"

Riku hadn't told him about the meeting? That was strange to say the least and Roxas wondered just how many of the sins, just a while ago when he entered, silenced because they knew he was a possible aide to the enemy and how many just silenced because it was him, "I was running a few errands, that's all."

"Well you're here now, mind if I steal him for a bit Axel?" Sora asked, looking across the room at the redhead and starting to lead Roxas away.

"Yeah I do," Axel said, stopping them, "You can see him later." Sora wasn't sure what to make of that and Roxas was just as baffled when Axel came over and shut the door, separating the twins without an explanation.

"Axel?" Roxas was confused but followed when he led him back across the room and sat him down on the bed.

"What happened?"

Roxas didn't know what to tell him other than the truth since a lie would be caught immediately, "They figured it out." Axel walked away to the window with a noise of disapproval and Roxas added, "But they aren't going to tell the others."

"But the fact that they know is still bad news," Axel sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair, "And it's the kind of news that doesn't stay a secret long."

There was something Roxas wanted to know, a question he'd had for a while but the virtues stirred up and brought alive, "Hey Axel…If…If the others do find out what will you do?" Roxas didn't get an answer.

* * *

Hm, what (would or will?) Axel do? I'm off to sleep for a while and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. You've met the virtues and they know who Roxas is now, which is certainly going to make things interesting. Please review and let me know what you thought! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	10. Sinful Emotions

So I owe you all an apology

So I owe you all an apology. Somewhere between school, the musical (which is finally over), senior stress, and a job hunt I've lost my mind and free time. I graduate next Saturday and it's finally sinking in that this is my last year of high school so that's caused a pretty bad bout of depression, writers block, and a stress cold. I'm starting to feel a bit healthier though and I took a day off yesterday to finish and proof this chapter, which is LONG overdue. I hope you enjoy it even though I felt bad about something that happens in it…You'll know it when you read it. Anyways I won't ramble anymore because I'm really tired and for the first time in a while have actually been able to sleep at a decent hour. I'm off and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Sinful Emotions**

"Where are you going?"

Axel froze when he heard the sleep laden question from the bed he just crept out of and where Roxas still lie. Since he'd become a virtue he was a bit more aware of himself and his surroundings, sometimes to the point where it annoyed Axel, "Out."

Roxas was curious though as to where, "Can I come?"

"You did just a few hours ago," Axel said but Roxas wasn't amused by his sexual reference. The lack of embarrassment or humor in Roxas' expression only ruffled Axel's feathers a bit though, "Yeah sure, get dressed."

Roxas got out of bed and pulled on the clothes which were sloppily discarded on the floor, glancing at the clock as he reached for his shoes. It was barely three in the morning and he wondered what Axel was trying to do sneaking out at this hour. The club had just closed and the sins were probably just starting to settle into bed, their routine quite second nature to Roxas by now. He'd lived here almost a month and a half and though the sins still overlooked him, he felt less and less alienated every day and a couple even talked to him. Demyx was social and, though quiet, Zexion could be as well. Xigbar and Luxord still didn't acknowledge him more than necessary, but neither one of them seemed entirely like someone Roxas wanted to know anyway. Riku however still made Roxas feel beyond uncomfortable and he knew something was going on.

As of this morning though Riku still didn't know about the secret Roxas and Axel had and the virtues hadn't shown their faces in a week or so, "So where are we going?"

"Japan," Axel said and though Roxas first assumed he was joking it quickly became clear he meant what he said, and as they boarded the airship Roxas knew they really were going there now. Something seemed a bit strange though and Axel eyed him oddly, "Have you flown before?"

Roxas was pale and stiff as he shook his head, "Never." He'd never even left the island so a trip like this was certainly momentous for him, "Why are we going to Japan? Is there a priority mission there?"

"Nope," was all Axel said as he started up the ship, setting it to auto pilot since he was incapable of actually piloting the airship. The only ones who could maneuver the ship were Luxord and Xigbar, though Demyx was trying to learn. As the doors shut and the floor started to vibrate Roxas knew this was probably a bad idea. Through the large windows out the front he could see the ground below them open up and he felt his knees weakening. Axel on the contrary seemed very composed and comfortable even as the ship plummeted straight down into the darkness. Roxas collapsed to his knees, supporting himself with his hands and feeling his gut rising up as the ship fell.

The last remnants of light left the ship quickly and in the darkness Roxas feared what would happen to them. Shouldn't the ship have some light or noise to signal it was working? The vibrating floor was the only reassurance that there was any power in the vessel and Roxas doubted that was enough, "Axel!" he shirked, hanging his head uneasily. Like a blanket though Axel swooped down on him as soon as the cry left his mouth, covering him with his body and holding onto his right hand as they fell faster and faster. Suddenly the ship thrust forward and they sped ahead.

"We'll be going straight for a few minutes, when we reach the island's edge we come out on the cove and go up pretty quick," Axel informed him as he stood up and wandered across the spacey cockpit comfortably.

Roxas tried to get up as well but found the flight movement still difficult to cope with, so instead he just sat back down and watched Axel check a few of the flight details, "I'm going to take a guess here that a normal flight isn't anything like this."

"Normal flights are boring with small portions of food and liquor," Axel said disinterestedly, "Xigbar and you dad built this thing. No airship faster than this."

Roxas was learning more and more about the family he didn't know every day, "So could he see things like Sora does or did he have a different specialty?"

"He was a polymorph," Axel told him, "He could contort any living creature into any shape, inside or out."

"And mum? What was she?" Roxas asked curiously.

Axel fumbled through one of the cabinets and retrieved a bag of coffee grounds before explaining, "I never really knew Sibyl all that well. She was a virtue after all so hanging out and stuff didn't ever happen. I think she was a copycat though. Whatever attack was thrown at her she could parry without a seconds thought. Coffee?"

"Yes please," Roxas said, though very awake after the take off. Suddenly the ship tilted and he slid towards the back of the cockpit unlike Axel who was able to stand firm and startup the coffee maker. When Roxas slid into the wall he just stayed there as they tilted further up to the point he was almost lying down, "I wonder how they met…"

"Not like we'll ever know," Axel said, not finding himself remotely interested in the thought, "Atticus is long gone and Sibyl is too finally." He was glad Roxas didn't ask what happened to the former Envy, a traitor they were responsible for eliminating. Roxas asked something though that had been crossing his mind lately.

"Would the same thing happen to us?"

And Axel told him the same thing he continued to tell himself, "There is no 'us' so I don't see why it would."

"But if they find out they'll know you knew," Roxas pointed out, continuing to worry for both of their sake since Axel didn't seem to care, "Aren't you worried?"

"Look nothing's happened yet so why think about the what ifs?" Axel snapped unintentionally, "As long as you don't slip up nobody will find out." Roxas nodded and looked out the windows ahead as they soared up through the clouds and slowly leveled back off. Axel brought him over a mug of coffee as it finished and handed him the hot drink, "Cream and four sugars."

Roxas took it with a pleased grin, "You remembered."

"You remind me every time I mess up," Axel grumbled before going to make his own cup. The lights came on in the cockpit and Roxas squinted his eyes to block out their bright shine. They must've been out of sight by now so it was safe to turn them on, though he was impressed at how easily Axel found his way around in the dark. "You may as well go get some sleep, it'll be hours before we get there," Axel said from the other side of the room, "There's a conference room with a few couches in the back."

"I'll wait up with you," Roxas said, having nothing better to do and wanting to make sure nothing went wrong on the flight.

Axel, as if reading his mind, said, "Don't worry; this ship is the most reliable vessel in the sky, on land, or in the sea."

"Do the virtues have a garage with all sorts of stuff like this too?" Roxas wondered, remembering how residential their base was and not seeing how they could house an airship or anything like that below the building.

Axel merely laughed, "They've got connections with every major sea and air liner so they don't need to have their own personal effects like us. They just call in and get immediate service. Pretty nifty and they save a ton on gas."

Roxas was silent for a while as Axel finished making his drink and wandered up to one of the chairs by the window. Roxas didn't bother trying to go join him since he was quite certain he'd quickly fall with the airships foreign movements, "So you never told me earlier. Why exactly are we going to Japan?"

Axel didn't answer right away, staring ahead as if trying to decide whether or not he wanted to tell him, "…It's sort of a traditional thing."

"What sort of tradition?" Roxas asked, wondering if it was a holiday of some sort he was unfamiliar with. But if it were a holiday why did Axel seem so reluctant to share information?

"It's nothing big. Just have to pay a visit," Axel told him, waving his hand in a way as if to brush aside the topic, "Stop asking about things that don't concern you."

Roxas would find out soon enough. In only a matter of hours they were approaching a set of islands in plain view that he recognized from text books, "So this is Japan?" He was finally getting used to the airship's movements and was able to stand, but as she lights shut off and the ship descended quickly he fell to the floor and slid backwards. Axel could still stand fine despite the drastic angle of descent and he stopped Roxas from sliding straight into a wall, "Yup," was all he said. Roxas looked ahead as they dove straight for the sea and he grabbed onto one of Axel's legs in alarm. They were going to go under! The ship broke the water's surface though noiselessly and continued to descend before leveling off and continuing on toward the island.

The lights were still off and the sea was dark, making Roxas uneasy about their surroundings. The hot breath on his neck though he felt as Axel knelt down behind him sent a shiver down his spine. Though he was still sore from earlier he knew Axel didn't care, and quite frankly neither did he.

"Once in the air and once in the sea, what I wonder will become of me," Axel recited the old rhyme, a hand already sliding up Roxas' shirt and over his chest.

Roxas didn't protest, in fact he smiled and rolled his head to the side so Axel could have better access to his throat, "That's a morbid military rhyme from the 1800's. How'd you know it?" he inhaled sharply as Axel bit into his shoulder, trying to remain composed though since it frustrated him so much, "Hm?"

Axel released his bite and pulled Roxas back into his lap possessively, "You pick up a lot after 140 years of life."

"Just so you-" Roxas had to hesitate his speech when he felt the edge of a warm tongue along the outer edge of his ear, "…know, that rhyme had a much different meaning than the one you imply." He didn't care, nor did he have the will to continue pointless chitchat, giving in without any further protest, "I still hate you," no he didn't.

Axel knew he didn't but that was what Roxas always said when he gave up, "No you don't." When the lights finally came back on Roxas was lying comfortably on top of him, wearing his shirt and nothing else, though the shirt was long enough in all aspects that it served almost as a nightgown. They both grunted and complained in some form as the light pried them out of sleep, both thoroughly exhausted and not having gotten much sleep before the flight. The ship tilted upwards and Roxas clung to Axel as they both slid back toward the rear of the cockpit. Axel used the momentum to help sit up and pulled Roxas up with him right before they hit the wall.

The minor collision woke Roxas and he rubbed sleep from his eyes, not minding the fact he was pinned with a leg still on either side of Axel, "Stupid light…" He stopped complaining though when a half asleep kiss woke them both up a bit more. When it broke he smiled and rested his head against his shoulder with a content sigh. Axel got up though and broke Roxas' comfortable moment as he zipped and buttoned his pants up and wandered over to the monitor in the corner.

With a disappointed sigh Roxas leaned back against the wall again and stared out the window ahead. They were leveling off and he saw they were going through a tunnel, long since out of the water apparently. A light came on way at the end of the tunnel and Roxas wondered where they were going to land. It quickly became obvious as the garage came into plain view around them that this was the Japan project base; the Wrath base.

"Stay here," Axel instructed as the ship stopped and landed, everything slowly powering down and the doors opening so he could leave. Roxas watched him go out the doors and he followed him with his eyes out the windows ahead as he started up a flight of stairs. Slowly it dawned on him that this was where Axel had been created, or rather where he'd been reconstructed. Over a century ago this place had been alive with scientists and madmen who were working to create a personification of Wrath, the sin they'd been assigned. Like the Envy base, this one was very unwelcoming but not entirely threatening either. The garage was white and well lit, a little dusty and in need of a broom and monitors on the wall displayed current data that the sins back in America were receiving right now. Why did Axel want to come to a place where there could only be bad memories?

Though he'd been told to stay in the ship Roxas wanted to know. He pulled on his pants and ignored his aching body, forcing himself to hurry out of the ship and for the stairs.

He found upstairs to be nothing more than a large white room with the same equipment he'd seen in the lab back in the night club, but with an operating table in the center or the room and a mess of blood around it. Axel was standing next to it and Roxas quietly came over when it became clear he wasn't going to get yelled at for breaking Axel's instructions, "What happened here?" he asked, looking at the dried blood on the table, a little cart with operating instruments also filthy with age and blood.

Axel still said nothing and Roxas saw that his eyes were shut and his head was bowed, but what was his posture of respect for? Roxas waited silently for an answer, his eyes wandering around the room. It wasn't nearly as well kept as the American base and it looked as though it had been decades since it had been visited.

"One hundred and nineteen years ago I was strapped down right here and turned into this," Axel finally heaved out with a sigh, opening his eyes and picking up one of the scalpels which had a patch of dull silver still visible around the handle, "Cut open wide awake and turned into this…"

Roxas understood now and it made sense, his expression falling from curiosity to despair. They were in the Wrath base after all so it was obvious this was where it happened. He looked at Axel as he stared in a transfixed manner at the still sharp utensil, "That's why you wanted to come back?" He did the math in his head; Axel mentioned he'd been alive for 140 years and if he was lying here on this table 119 years ago he was only 21 when it happened and hadn't aged visibly since then.

"Kind of an anniversary with an old lover. You don't celebrate it but you can't keep from remembering," Axel said vaguely as he brought the scalpel to his wrist. Before Roxas could stop him he slit deep and quick across his wrist, a large amount of blood seeping through the fresh cut.

"Axel!" Roxas quickly said as he clasped both hands around his wrist and tried to prevent blood loss. Axel pulled his wrist free though and refused to let Roxas interfere, "What did you do that for?" Roxas demanded, not finding this amusing at all.

Axel smirked though and put the scalpel back onto the cart of utensils, "It's tradition. One hundred and nineteen cuts later and I'm still breathing." Roxas didn't say anything and Axel sighed before pushing his sleeves back down and staring at the table for a moment longer. He couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through Axel's head and heart just by being here. This was essentially his tombstone, where he'd left his life unwillingly behind though a series of experiments which jeopardized his physical and mental stability, "Don't think I'm morbid or anything, we all do this every year when our times roll around."

"It's unhealthy dwelling on the bad events in life," Roxas insisted, not agreeing with their method of acknowledging the day.

Axel laughed though much to Roxas' surprise, "When you live as long as me you learn it's unhealthy to forget…I don't expect you to understand."

"I think I do," Roxas said, taking him by surprise, "I may not know what you went through, and I certainly can't imagine your suffering…but I know how it feels to have to leave an old life behind and be forced into a new one."

Axel didn't know what to say. Roxas had indeed, against his will, been forced into this life. Even if it wasn't of the same magnitude as his own, Axel knew all of the opportunities and connections Roxas once had were gone just like his own and it wasn't until now that he realized it, "Roxas…" he was interrupted when his cell phone rang but he didn't answer it right away, instead staring at Roxas with an intent look.

"You may want to answer that," Roxas said, knowing the only calls Axel ever got were from the sins and usually were important.

Axel pulled out his phone and flipped it open, bringing it to his ear, "Yeah."

"Axel!" it was Demyx and he sounded frantic. Apparently Roxas could overhear the noise as well with gunfire and ruckus in the background, "It's the Virtues! They're-" he was cut off and trailed into a cry of pain.

"Demyx?!" Axel shouted, already hurrying back towards the stairs with Roxas at his heels. His stomach sank when he heard someone pick up the phone and heard a voice that didn't belong to Demyx.

"Better hurry back Axel."

The phone went dead and Axel swore loudly, "Damn you Seifer! Roxas hurry up!" No matter how quickly they went it didn't matter. The base was practically on the other side of the world and there was no way the Virtues would still be there by the time they got back. Roxas wondered if Axel had realized that yet and also wondered why he seemed so intent on helping people he never spared a kind word. The relationship the Sins had was too elaborate for him to figure out and he knew Axel would simply tell him he didn't care about the others and that there was no bond between them.

* * *

"How does it feel?" Zexion asked as he finished tying off the bandages around Demyx's chest carefully since he wasn't sure if the pain killer had taken effect yet.

"It hurts but I'll live," Demyx said with a smile, putting a hand over his heart to make sure it was indeed still beating. He'd taken the most damage second only to the base itself. The bar was a mess of alcohol, glass, bullets, and shattered wood much like the rest of the room mixed with blood from both sides.

From his seat on the stairs Demyx looked around at the others, wondering what would have happened if they lost. Six virtues attacked and only five sins were present, and up until a sixth sin showed up it looked as though they risked losing. It was a completely unexpected attack and while one similar happened decades ago the virtues had remained on their own grounds since then. They had picked the best day, for the virtues at least, to attack since two of their strongest were away.

Both Demyx and Zexion heard two sets of feet hurrying upstairs and Zexion looked over and saw Axel and Roxas through the open doorway, "They're back."

Even though Zexion's voice was soft everyone in the room heard it and looked to their seventh that froze in the doorway instantly under their gazes. Some were disinterested, some were hurt, all mad, "Hey," was all Axel said. Nobody said anything and they all just returned to their work. Roxas found it odd that none of them, especially Riku, said anything. Just by looking around he could tell it had been a vicious fight and they were all wounded to some extent, so why didn't they curse or blame Axel like they usually would?

The cleanup carried long into the evening, the conversations minimal and no more than a few words before silence again. Since they wouldn't be able to open the club tonight due to its current ruin they simply put up a sign 'Closed for renovations,' and spent the remainder of the evening resting and trying to recover. Roxas volunteered to mop the floors, finally glass free, and Sora decided to help since he was curious about where he'd been all day anyway. His wounds were relatively minimal compared to the others, only a deep cut on his cheek and a couple of treated gashes on his side, "I'm fine," Sora assured him, laughing at the concerned looks he kept getting, "They're really not that bad."

Roxas wanted to believe him but the fact his brother was hurt didn't bode well with him, "I wish I could've been there to help you," he said with a sigh, dunking the mop's head into the bucket and starting to clean up.

Sora followed suit but shook his head, "You would've gotten in the way. They're our matches so even we have trouble."

"Matches?" Roxas was a bit confused and looked across the room at him inquisitively.

"For every sin, there is a virtue that counter's it," Sora explained, "Lust is countered by chastity, gluttony by temperance, greed by charity, sloth by diligence, wrath by kindness, envy by patience, and pride by humility."

Roxas never knew that but it made since seeing as there were seven virtues and seven sins, "So you could only be killed by whoever patience is?"

"In theory any of them can kill any of us and visa versa, but we generally try to match up with our rival," Sora said before coming back over to the bucket and soaking the mop again, "Also, in a fight, we're generally very evenly matched if it's the same number or sins against the same number of virtues. Missing even one though can pretty much determine the final outcome though…That's what happened today."

"Care to elaborate?" Roxas asked. Now that all of the sins had gone off to do whatever they had to do he figured he'd be able to get some answers from the one he could trust most, "What exactly happened?"

Sora sighed and rested his chin on the end of the mop handle, seeming to think about it for a second, "…Well, I don't see why I shouldn't tell you," he finally said with a shrug before going back to cleaning, "Earlier this afternoon we were planning for an upcoming event we were asked by an investor to host here."

"What sort of event?" Roxas was curious, wondering if maybe there was a party coming up.

Sora shook his head, making it clear he couldn't say, "Anyways, I don't know how but the virtues came up through the garage and cut the power before ambushing us." Most of the light in the night club came from artificial sources and the only windows were upstairs in the bedrooms, so without power Roxas imagined it would be nearly impossible to see at all. "Fortunately we have backup generators downstairs but they're only able to restore full power to the lab and the rest of the club only gets 25 percent power back. In that light we were able to fight but we were outnumbered. There were six of them and only five of us."

Roxas noticed something though that didn't add up. Axel was gone but who was the other absent sin that afternoon, "Five? Shouldn't there have been six?"

"Riku left this morning for London," Sora explained vaguely, "And Axel was in Yokohama."

"I know, I was there," Roxas said, somewhat proud of that bit of information but still wondering why Riku left, "Why was Riku in London?"

"Same reason Axel was in Yokohama," Sora said vaguely. It made sense and Roxas put another piece of the two sins' past together. Sora didn't say anything for a few minutes, ceasing his work and drumming his fingers on the mop as if contemplating whether or not he should say what was on his mind, "…Why did you go?"

"I asked him if I could," Roxas said, noticing his brother's tone and taunting, "I'm sensing a little _Envy_."

Sora laughed only a bit but clearly was bothered, "How strange…" He wouldn't tell Roxas exactly how unusual what Axel had done was, instead sneering and saying, "You're just like his purse you know. He takes you everywhere and you hold anything he shoves into you."

Roxas' face turned red as Sora laughed with glee. He couldn't believe how rude, and surprisingly true, the insult was and he swung his mop at his brother's head. The soaking wet strands struck the back of his head with a soft and wet thud. Sora staggered and looked back in surprise, water dripping down his back and reeking of the citrus scented cleaner. He retaliated by thrusting his own mop and though Roxas tried to back away Sora jabbed him in the stomach, soaking the white shirt thoroughly.

Both wet and silent they held their mops and after a few seconds of silence a war was declared, both soaking the mops and swinging at the other. Sora, who'd had much more experience fighting, easily maintained the upper hand but he held back so his brother stood a chance. Minutes flew by as the two ran and slid around the, now soaking wet and soapy, floor. As he tried to turn and retaliate Roxas slipped backwards and landed flat on his back with a wet thud. Sora slid around behind his brother and held the mop head right above his throat as if it were a sharp weapon.

"I give," Roxas said with an exhausted sigh. They were both out of breath and there wasn't an inch on them that was dry but Sora grinned and dropped the mop head right in his brother's face. Roxas swatted the mop away and wiped soapy water out of his eyes as he sat up with a smile. He had no idea that was the last time he and his brother would be able to laugh like that and carry on happily with each other.

Through the back of the soaked white shirt, right on Roxas' right shoulder blade was a roman numeral. Sora couldn't speak. He couldn't move. All he could do was stare. Roxas, with the soap out of his eyes looked back at his brother with a happy smile; they'd made, and were, a mess but it had been so much fun he didn't care. When Sora didn't return the smile though Roxas knew something was wrong and saw his transfixed stare on his back. All color vanished from his face and Roxas quickly got to his feet, taking several steps back and dropping the mop. Sora continued to stare at him, confused and unable to speak but he took a step back from his brother uneasily. And like that the brothers' silently disowned each other.

Without a word, a plea, or a sorrowful glance, Roxas took off quickly and hurried up the stairs. Sora didn't chase after him, he just stood there soaking wet and he heard the door slam as Roxas hid himself in his sanctuary with Axel. Only seconds later the door leading downstairs opened and Riku and Demyx came in, Demyx immediately slipping and taking a tumble back down the stairs. Neither their entrance nor the thuds as Demyx tumbled broke Sora's trance and it was far too easy to tell that something was wrong. Shutting the door to close out the thuds of Demyx's descent Riku crossed the slippery floor and Sora finally looked away from where Roxas had run off, "What's wrong?"

* * *

"What's wrong?" Axel asked as Roxas slammed to door and rushed across the room to where he was going through some papers on top of the dresser. Roxas nearly tackled him as he lunged and clung onto him tightly, "Axel! He knows! Sora! He saw!" he spoke quickly and unclearly, voice and body both shaking uneasily.

Axel understood and just stared at him for a long moment, listening to the shivering and crying boy clinging to him. Sora knew what he was, and though he was his brother Axel knew just as well as Roxas that that wouldn't be enough to keep the secret. It could be moments, minutes, or hours before the others found out, a day or two if they were lucky. Sooner or later the sins would come after him and Axel had no idea what to do, "Calm down," he said, putting down the papers and trying to think of something.

"He knows! Axel!" Roxas repeated, literally in fear for his life, "Axel please you have to help me! Please!" Axel said nothing as Roxas dropped to his knees, feeling sick and unable to keep himself on his feet. He stared down at the blonde, soaking wet mess at his feet. The Roman numeral was visible through the wet shirt and Axel still didn't know what to do. If he was killed there would be one less virtue to worry about, and it was their duty as sins to take out their rivals. Roxas was Kindness. Axel was Wrath. It was his duty to eliminate him. What loss would it be? The answer to that was simple, "Roxas," Axel said as he got down on his knees and lifted his face up, "I won't let anything happen to you." He was a loss Axel refused to lose. The beautiful blue eyes locked with his and Axel immediately had to look away.

As he started to get up though Roxas grabbed onto his wrist, and Axel looked back, "Do you promise?"

Axel didn't speak up right away, realizing how serious of a matter this was. He was going against the sins and their duty, all to protect an enemy. Roxas wasn't an enemy though. He posed no threat to any of them and meant no ill in anything he did so why should they try to kill him or even consider him an enemy? It was all because of that number on his back, "I promise," and Axel refused to let them hurt him just because of a number. He knew what he had to do though, "We need to get you away from here. Tonight."

Roxas knew that he was right, "What about you?"

"I've got to stay here with the others," Axel explained, "Just like you've got to go to the virtues."

Roxas' expression fell but he knew Axel was right again. That was the only place he would be safe for sure, "I understand…but that would make us…"

"I don't consider you my enemy at all Roxas and will never hurt you," Axel said, surprising them both but quickly adding, "What about you?"

"I'd never hurt you!" Roxas quickly insisted, "But when will I see you again?"

Axel didn't answer and Roxas understood. There was no telling when they'd see each other again or on what terms. All they could think about right now was getting Roxas away from danger. Without another word Axel leaned down and put his hands on the side of Roxas' face, pulling him into a brief kiss. When he started to let go though Roxas held onto him and pulled him back into the kiss, not ready to let him go. Axel understood and indulged in the kiss for a moment longer until Roxas drew back, "I hate you so much…" he mumbled with a clear note of sadness.

Axel smiled a bit and kissed his forehead, Roxas' citrus scent starting to make him a bit dizzy, "I don't care…I wonder sometimes though why you hate me."

What Roxas said next was something Axel would never forget, "I hate you for making me care about you."

* * *

I rewrote that ending a few times but I'm proud of the way it turned out. I apologize if there were grammatical errors in this chapter but the fact of the matter is I was and still am rather medicated and not entirely focused on anything, especially my spelling abilities. I got about half of the next chapter written yesterday and will get to the rest as my mood, heath, and schedule allows. Oh, and the party I felt bad about writing (in case you didn't guess) was the way Sora reacted to Roxas' virtueness. So what's going to happen when (and if) the others figure it out? Is Sora really going to tell Riku and betray his brother? I know but you're going to have to wait another week or so to find out!

Thank you guys SOOOO much for being patient and continuing to read. Without you I would be nothing and more thanks to everyone who takes the time to review! Hearing what you think about my stories helps more than I can ever express (though I'd be sure to give out massive hugs if I ever met one of you, Mandak excluded ofcourse since she gets them) and I love you all for it them! Until then I wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	11. Sinful Confrontations

This chapter is HUGE in more than one sense of the word

This chapter is HUGE in more than one sense of the word! I mean it's really extreme…just like my new haircut! Bwahah! I feel like a cute kitty now. Graduation is Saturday and I wanted to surprise everyone so I went and got a haircut. Now I just have to hide in my room until Saturday night….that might be difficult. Anyways I just wanted to brag because I'm excited! Hope you all enjoy this new chapter because it took SOOO much out of me to write.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Sinful Confrontations**

The words were still fresh in his ears as Axel made his way downstairs. _"I hate you for making me care about you."_ It didn't make sense. He did anything but treat him the way someone who cared would, so why? Why did he use that word? He couldn't worry about that right now, all he could do was focus on getting Roxas out of the bar safely and he held onto his hand tightly. The bar was empty for the most part except for Riku who was drying off the bar which Sora and Roxas had soaked, and Demyx and Zexion who slid around the sopping wet floor in their bare feet.

Halfway to the door all seemed to be going fine but on the bottom step they heard, "Hey!" they both stopped and looked over at Xigbar who'd just come upstairs from the basement, "Roxas you helped make this mess now you help clean it up."

Roxas said nothing but the fact that none of them made a lunge for his throat yet was a good sign and both he and Axel knew they couldn't afford to drum up suspicion. So with a nod Roxas let go of Axel's hand and started towards the bar, relieved that he'd changed into dry clothes and hid the number. Sora was nowhere to be seen and that was a good sign, he thought as he grabbed a towel from under the bar and stood up. Axel was sitting on the stairs pretending to just be lazy and not help, but he was really paying very close attention to every move Roxas made. All they had to do was help a little and hurry out; simple as that.

"You too, get up here and help!" Xigbar barked down the stairs. Roxas froze, hoping it was Luxord who would come up the stairs, but no, that would be far too fortunate. Sora appeared in the doorway and the brothers' exchanged a brief glance before continuing to clean up the mess.

"So I think it goes without saying," Luxord said from where he appeared on the landing upstairs, "That neither one of you are going to clean up next time the virtues attack."

"What makes you think there will be a next time?" Demyx asked curiously as he helped Zexion to his feet after the sin took a slide on the floor.

Luxord merely shrugged and said nothing. Riku however had an answer, "You heard what they said before they left. They're looking for their 7th member."

"But why should they attack us then? Not like we know where they are," Zexion said with a sigh, still finding the entire day dreary.

"They seem to think we do," Riku said before glancing down the bar at Roxas. Roxas felt the stare and knew he knew. He looked to Axel, who'd caught onto what was going on as well, but neither one of them moved. "And I think they're right," Riku added as he picked up a bottle he'd been drinking from and smashed it hard over Roxas' head. Axel was instantly on his feet and everyone else looked shocked except for Sora, who simply looked away. The glass and liquor made a mess and Roxas cringed from the pain, quickly turning around to face him though since he was sure there was more to come.

Though Axel was fast, Riku was the fastest of them all. Pride's specialty was cheetah speed and dexterity and Riku had stashed his twin blades under the bar, clearly expecting this sort of encounter. Roxas tried to back away but Riku was instantly at his throat with one on the daggers and he ran the other through his hand on the bar, pinning him there. Just as the other blade was pressing into his throat, Axel jumped onto the bar behind him and threw a punch towards Riku's face. It was meant to be just a distraction though and it worked, Riku evading easily and taking both blades away with him. Axel leapt down behind the bar and pushed Roxas behind him as the virtue clung to his pierced hand, trying to slow the painful bleeding.

Riku wasn't afraid to fight Axel, an almost routine ritual by now between them; but this time he had an ulterior purpose, "You know what he is! Move!" he spat, lunging at Axel. Axel readied himself but at the last split second Riku jumped over him and came down upon Roxas. In less than a second's time one blade was through Roxas' chest and the other through Axel's back.

"What's gotten into you?!" Xigbar demanded as he and the others reached the bar, reaching over immediately and ripping Riku back away from the other two. As soon as the blade was pulled out of his chest Roxas fell to his knees and doubled over, breath frozen in his chest and unable to react to the horrible pain. Axel swooped down on him but had no idea what to do. He promised he wouldn't let anything happen to him barely 10 minutes ago and it was already broken, "Zexion!"

"Right!" Zexion slid over the bar and to Roxas' side, pressing a hand over the hole in his chest and another over the one in Axel's back.

"Don't help them!" Riku snarled, struggling to get away from Xigbar but Gluttony was the strongest among them. Roxas felt all the pain leave his chest and he looked down only to find, when Zexion removed his hand, that the wound was gone. It happened so quickly and Roxas wondered if the wound was never there in the first place. As Zexion was reaching for his bleeding hand though Riku shouted, "Roxas is a virtue!"

Everyone froze for a moment and Riku used that brief second of shock to slip out of Xigbar's restraint. He shoved Zexion out of the way and was about to bring his blades down on the back of Roxas' neck when Axel grabbed his wrists. It was clear what was coming and he pulled back immediately, barely avoiding the flames the came out of Axel's hands. Axel quickly got to his feet and blocked Roxas off from the others, "Stay away from him."

"You know what you're doing?" Riku asked with an amused but not surprised look, "You're helping the enemy!"

"He's not our enemy!" Axel snapped, "He doesn't mean us any harm so we should just let him leave!"

"What happens when he goes to the others though? With all seven of them together we're in danger," Demyx spoke up, making it clear whose side he was on.

Axel said nothing and Luxord also joined in, "You've known this entire time what kind of threat he is."

Axel shook his head though, "No, he's-"

"We've been housing one of them this entire time," Xigbar stepped forward with a clear look of distaste in his eyes.

"He's not a threat!" Axel insisted loudly.

Riku grinned though, "Yes he is, and you're one too!" Roxas knew it was over, he was done for. As Riku made another lunge for them both Roxas saw Axel move to defend him. He couldn't just sit there waiting for the end though and in his fear he dove under the bar's flap door and out onto the floor. Axel turned to see where he was going, "Roxas!" it wasn't safe to take chances, just like it wasn't safe to turn his back on Riku. He felt a sharp pain in his back from the attack and as he staggered Riku passed him and jumped the bar, "Don't hurt him!" Axel shouted, feeling Zexion's hands on his back and healing up the wounds.

Roxas knew he was after him and in a last act of desperation Roxas grabbed Sora, whose back had been turned the entire time, and jerked him around to use as a human shield. Riku was already slashing the blades at him though and wasn't able to stop in time. To everyone's alarm both blades went right across, not Roxas, but Sora's throat.

Time seemed to freeze as both Roxas and Riku realized what they'd done. The look of shock on both of their faces expressed the one similarity they had. "…I'm so sorry," Roxas said softly to both his brother and the person trying to kill him. Sora stared blankly at Riku for what felt like an eternity before his eyes slid shut and he fell out of Roxas' grip. Riku immediately dropped his weapons and caught him, being very careful of the enormous cut across his throat. Roxas wanted to stay. He wanted to help his brother. But he knew staying would mean death and without a word he ran for the door, Axel right behind him. None of the other sins pursued him, all too focused on the quickly dying Envy.

* * *

"I killed him! I killed my brother!" Roxas was hysterical, out of breath, and terribly light headed from the excessive blood loss. They'd run down several alleys and Axel stopped finally to hail a taxi. Roxas collapsed to his knees, his hands clutching his throbbing head and not caring whether or not his bleeding hand matted his hair.

The cab pulled up to the sidewalk and Axel jerked Roxas to his feet, "Pull yourself together!" he barked, making Roxas cringe and break, tears finally rolling down his cheeks. Axel immediately regretted his brutality and tried to comfort him, "Calm down…Roxas we need to get away from here. They're going to be after the both of us soon."

"But Sora-"

"Worry about yourself now," Axel cut him short and pulled Roxas over to the cab, opening the passenger door and pushing him in. Axel went around to the other side of the car and opened the door, jerking the driver out of his seat and throwing him to the street before getting in. Ignoring the shouting cab driver and Roxas' silent tears, Axel sped away from the curb and down the street.

Roxas hugged his knees to his chest, desperately needing a way of relief and clinging to himself for comfort, "Axel…I'm sorry." Axel didn't say anything. "I'm sorry," Roxas repeated. He was sorry for coming into his life. He was sorry for making so many complications. He was sorry for being a virtue. He was sorry for everything, "I'm sorry."

Roxas cried himself to sleep in the cab. They'd been driving all afternoon and finally the quiet neighborhood the virtues made their home in came into view. As he slowed the car down Roxas woke up, as if knowing it was all over. They both looked up at the expensive manor for quite some time without a word.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Roxas said, unable to tolerate the silence. As soon as he said it Axel pushed down the gas in the car and they sped past the manor. Roxas was shocked and looked over his shoulder at the quickly disappearing white building, "Axel? What are you doing?"

"Not yet," was all Axel said at first, "You can't go to them yet." Roxas was confused but didn't argue or push him any further. Within another hour they were in a completely different part of town, alive with lights and noise. The streets were filled with men and women, and quite a few people whose gender Roxas couldn't pick out due to their outfits. Bars and casinos lined the street, dance clubs still alive and hopping with noise and lines trailing all the way into the street. He was in awe of the city of sin and as they stopped in front of one of the casino's Roxas chuckled at the name, "The _Sinny_ Side of Life?"

"An investor runs this place," Axel told him as he turned off the engine and looked up at the casino which outshone every other one on the street, "Come on, we'll spend the night here."

Axel got out of the cab but Roxas didn't join him so Axel looked back in to see what was wrong. Roxas was sitting there with his arms crossed and shaking his head, "I get it…You didn't want to stop at the virtues because you wanted one more fuck."

Axel didn't expect that but he was quick to react, getting back in the car and pulling Roxas over to him before kissing his neck and asking, "If that's all I wanted then why would I bother getting us a room? There's a perfectly good cab right here you know." As Axel reached to undo his pants Roxas grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Axel laughed and Roxas quickly, and with a strong note of embarrassment, got out of the cab.

Axel led him into the casino and Roxas thought it was odd that the men at the door didn't try to stop him since he was clearly too young to be there. Roxas looked up in awe at the ceiling four stories above them, balconies and walkways looming over them. With a color scheme of black and gold Roxas was distracted and almost lost Axel in the crowd, but the sin grabbed his arm and led him up to the large circular counter in the center of the casino, "Welcome to The Sinny Side of Life, would you like to hear about our special offers?" asked the woman at the counter with a plastered on smile.

"I'm here to see Madame Capulet," Axel said, ignoring her question completely.

The woman's smile didn't falter as she said, "I'm sorry, but our owner's policy is that she only meets with our gold card holders."

"I know the Madame's policies," Axel replied smugly as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a clear card with a platinum circle in the center, "I'm a platinum card holder."

The look on the woman's face quickly became one of shock and she apologized, "I'm so sorry sir, I'll notify her immediately. Would you like anything while you wait? Our executive chef just received three new imported Cognac Frapin Cuvée 1888, would you like a glass?"

"1888? Good year," Axel said though Roxas immediately realized what happened in 1888, 119 years ago; when Axel became a sin. The irony seemed almost too sick, "I'll take it in her quarters. We don't need an escort."

Roxas followed Axel over to one of the four elevators on the back wall and a man inside the door saw the card in Axel's hand and treated him with the same admiration as the woman at the front desk did. All the way up to floor four they went and even went a level above that much to Roxas' surprise. They were far above the floors below and Roxas saw a different sort of theme on each level along with a different series of games and ways to gamble, the fourth floor a restaurant and theater by the looks of it. Axel led him out of the elevator as they reached the top level and out they went onto the walkway. There was only one door directly across from the elevator and Roxas watched the bellman go back down, leaving them alone on this level.

The door was large and Axel rang the bell on the side, waiting patiently while Roxas looked over the side of the walkway. They were so high up he felt a little light headed as he stared down, wondering how many of the people below knew about this fifth level. He looked over as he heard the door open and the woman immediately leapt at Axel, hugging onto him with her arm and legs. Axel held her up and returned the hug with a laugh, "Long time no see Larxene."

She laughed and messed with his hair gleefully, "Where the hell have you been?" Who was this? She was dressed scantily in a vest too tight with a ruffled shirt underneath, shorts barely reaching to her thumb's length and not covering much leg. Roxas eyed her oddly, wondering what kind of person this was and more importantly how she and Axel knew each other. Larxene looked over Axel's shoulder and spotted him, looking back to Axel and asking, "Another one of your toys?"

Roxas' face fell and Axel knew it without looking. Without a word Roxas tuned and headed back for the elevator. Axel let go of Larxene and chased after him though, grabbing his wrist and stopping him, "Hey, she's kidding."

"Wow, what a brat," Larxene sighed, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head disapprovingly, "Can't take a joke can you Roxas?" Roxas was still miffed but he wondered how she knew his name. As if reading his mind she grinned and said, "Axel's told me a lot about you."

Axel led him back to her and introduced him, "This is Madame Capulet, an old friend."

"How old?" Roxas accidentally asked out loud. What all did she know about Axel and had she been around as long as the sins?

Larxene's smile fell and she looked mad, immediately lashing out at him verbally, "Never ask a lady her age! You can address me as Madame," Roxas shrank under her glare and Larxene crossed her arms before looking away from them both, "I don't like him Axel."

"I'm sorry sweetie but we're in some trouble," Axel said. Without asking for details Larxene grabbed them both and pulled them back through the door, kicking it shut behind them. Axel easily made himself comfortable on a loveseat in the large office. It was decorated with an old English flare it was clear Larxene was more than wealthy. Two doors off to the side led to living quarters and storage, an enormous fireplace well lit on the other side wall which made the office cozy. Roxas stayed close to Axel, sitting with his hands in his lap silently staring ahead.

Larxene sat on her desk and crossed her legs, rubbing the temples on the side of her head with a sigh, "They figured it out?"

"We need a place to stay for the night," was all Axel said.

Larxene looked over at him with an annoyed look, "That's not what I asked." Axel said nothing and instead she looked to Roxas, "Way to fuck things up." Roxas looked at his hands, already feeling guilty enough and not needing to hear that.

"Leave him alone, it's not his fault," Axel insisted, making Roxas feel a little better.

"Axel you know you're screwed. Sure you can get him to the virtues but you know what's going to happen when you go back," Larxene scolded, "Even if they let you live the rest of your years will be spent in solitary confinement."

"Larxene," Axel said calmly, "We've been driving all day. All I'm asking for is a room for the night and maybe a doctor for Roxas' hand. Things got a bit rough back at the base."

Larxene said nothing but she got off her desk and went over to the fireplace and drummed her fingers on the mantel for a minute, "…We have a doctor on call I'll page. You're welcome to my guest quarters."

"Thanks," Axel said with a sigh before leaning back and staring at the ceiling. Roxas looked from him to Larxene without a word. The atmosphere was heavy and Roxas knew he was to blame yet again.

* * *

"Where is he?" Larxene asked as Axel came into the office with a bottle of wine in his hand.

"Showering," was all Axel told her before picking up two glasses of the bookshelf, pouring them a drink. He set the bottle down and crossed to join her on the loveseat, sitting down with a heavy sigh.

Larxene took a drink as she reached for the bottle, examining the date and laughing, "1888…What a year."

"You're telling me," Axel said, "Looks like you've been getting better since then."

"Look around," Larxene gestured to the room with a proud smile, "I enjoy my modest existence." 1888 was the year they met. Larxene was no sin and her existence was more complicated that their own. As a failed first attempt she was the original product, though she was nothing more than a normal human with an extended lifespan now.

"I meant your health," Axel said shortly. Larxene didn't reply, instead taking another drink from her glass and looking around the office. Axel sighed and looked at the dark liquor, "You're going to shorten your lifespan even more if you don't get yourself looked at."

Larxene shrugged though and said nothing for a few minutes, "Meh, maybe I've lived long enough. I mean I think I've seen more than my share of the world."

She was blessed with a curse. Over the past century another flaw in her creation became apparent: her immune system was aging. By now she had the immunity defense of a 150 year old woman though she looked to be only in her early 20's, "Who would I annoy if you were gone though?"

"Trust me Axel, you annoy the sins more than enough. Losing me wouldn't be a major change," she laughed a bit, "Though after tomorrow the only person you'll be talking to is yourself I imagine." Axel didn't speak up and Larxene had to ask what she'd been meaning to since their arrival, "Why are you doing this Axel? You can just take him back to the sins and let them get rid of him! Maybe then you'd stand some chance at avoiding the slaughter in store for you!"

"I've made up my mind Larxene," he said firmly, "I'm going to protect him."

"But why?" Larxene couldn't understand his logic at all and she got to her feet, "He's one of the virtues! He can and will kill you if you don't kill him Axel, don't tell yourself otherwise." Axel merely grinned a bit and shook his head, looking back down into his drink. Larxene looked down at him, her annoyed look softening. He was 140 years old now and yet he still acted like the stubborn 19 year old she'd med 119 years ago, "I don't understand you."

"Trust me, neither did I up until today," Axel mumbled under his breath.

Larxene wasn't expecting that and she quirked her head a bit, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"…Larxene I don't get it. He hates me for making him care about me…What kind of logic is that? I didn't ask for this mess but somehow because of him I just don't care," Axel got up and paced across the room with a frustrated tone, "I didn't do anything! What the hell is wrong with me?"

Larxene had an amused look on her face as she walked up to him with a grin, "I think someone cares."

"Me? Psh, don't put money on that logic," Axel turned and walked the other way with Larxene right behind him.

"You're giving up everything for him you know," Larxene taunted, "He's the enemy and you helped him. What for?" she continued, "Just because someone's good in bed doesn't mean you'd throw all you have out the window for them," she insisted, "Look at what you're doing Axel, all because some blonde brat you abducted turned out to be a virtue." Axel stopped and so did Larxene as she took another drink and said, "Sounds to me like you care. Question is how much?"

Axel didn't speak up right away, instead thinking about that question heavily. As soon as he seemed to get an answer he scowled, "What does it matter? After tomorrow he'll be long gone."

"It matters because it's changed everything for you," Larxene said confidently, "Axel you've changed. What happened to the selfish bastard I used to know? He met a blonde _boy_ and fell in love by accident." When Axel didn't say anything Larxene smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, "Take it from me Axel…Love someone while you can, and even if they aren't there tomorrow you can still love the memories they left you."

Axel drank in the words, finally taking a drink of the liquor as well. He downed the glass in one swig before setting it down, "As bitter as the year itself."

Larxene smiled and looked at what remained in her glass, "I don't know, I kind of like it."

"You would," Axel rolled his eyes and headed for the door leading back into the living quarters. As he was leaving though he stopped in the doorway and looked back to her, "Larxene…Thanks." Larxene nodded and sat back down on the loveseat as the door shut, a pleased smile on her face, _'Let them find happiness. If not for forever, then at least for tonight.'_

* * *

Roxas was in search of clothes to change into when Axel came in, the only clean thing he'd found so far being a silk and oriental flavored robe. He stood up and greeted him with a small smile, "Hey, you can use the-" Axel interrupted him as he crossed directly to him and pulled him into a kiss.

"It's your turn to promise me something," Axel said, drawing back as quickly as he started.

Confused but not seeing why not, "Sure. What is it?"

"Promise me you won't forget," was all Axel said. Roxas didn't need him to elaborate. He wouldn't forget. Forget the way he made him mad and happy and the same time, the way he swore and cursed, the way he treated him over the past two months. He wouldn't forget the way Axel made him feel. Without needing to reply, Roxas just wrapped his arms around him and held on tight. There was no sex that night and neither one of them cared, nor did either one of them sleep.

The next morning Axel was up and out of bed before Larxene even woke up. He knew that they would have to leave soon and he wanted to get out of there before she could remind him about what waited ahead for him. Taking a piece of paper and a pen off of her desk he wrote a note:

_Thank you again for everything._

Short. To the point. That was all he wanted to say.

"Axel?"

Axel looked back at the door and saw Roxas come in, dressed in the clothes he'd come here yesterday in since they didn't have anything to change into, "Morning," was all Axel said as he folded up the note and left it on the desk where Larxene would be able to find it.

Roxas shut the door behind himself and stood there as if waiting for something, "…Axel there's something I want to-"

"Can it wait?" Axel cut him short, having a bad feeling about what was about to be said and using their need to leave as an excuse. Roxas looked a bit more disappointed but nodded and forced a smile. Without another word they left the office, then the casino, then the city; heading back towards the virtue base. In the silence that weighed over them in the car Roxas could have easily said what he tried to earlier but instead he turned on the radio and rolled down the window, observing the world outside instead of the one in the car.

His behavior annoyed Axel and he frequently caught himself looking over only to find that Roxas still wasn't paying attention. He made no attempts to start a conversation and no attempts to criticize him for his haphazard driving skills. This was right though and also the reason last night had been uneventful. Roxas knew they needed to start distancing themselves now so that things would be simpler to adjust to. Axel knew that too but he didn't want to and was surprised Roxas was being so serious about it.

"Axel."

He finally said something and Axel quickly looked over at him, meeting the blank expression with an enthused one, "Yeah?"

"You missed our exit," was all Roxas said. Axel looked back and cursed before turning around in the middle of the street, angering four lanes of traffic. As soon as they'd turned around Axel looked back over to Roxas only to find he was staring back out the window again. He wondered if this was how Roxas felt all those times he'd dragged him out on missions and paid no attention to him the entire drive.

As they reentered the city limits Roxas rolled up the window and stared out the windshield instead. The radio station was losing it's signal as they entered the busy area and Axel turned off the static mess, using the opportunity to his advantage, "Hey so you never got around to saying what you wanted to earlier," he said, glancing over at Roxas for some sort of response.

"Oh," he said, not sounding interested or surprised. Several minutes passed and it became clear that was all he planned on saying, "So are you going to say it now?" Axel asked, trying to urge on a conversation to break the silence.

Roxas looked at him briefly before turning to look back out the side window, "I-it's nothing important. Don't worry about it."

"Well I need something to worry about, why not it?" Axel asked, not going to let things get quiet again, especially with the elegant neighborhood the virtues resided in was just around the corner and these were the last bits of time he'd have with Roxas.

Roxas could tell he was trying and he told him what they both knew, "Axel I appreciate what you're doing, but we really should stop…Besides, it's not like you care anyway."

Axel was clearly maddened when he said that and he slammed on the brakes, stopping the cab right there. Roxas was lurched forward by the abrupt stop and gasped when Axel reached over and grabbed him by his shirt collar, "How dare you say I don't care? Do you know how much I've given up because of you? How fucked I am?! I care more than you'll ever know!"

Roxas stared at him in shock and awe. Four hours of silence only to end with this? "Axel I…" he didn't know what to say; how to reply.

Axel looked away when Roxas fell silent, "Go on. Get out," he said as he let go and leaned back in his seat. Roxas didn't move, he just stared at him silently. Axel quickly turned on him though, "Didn't you hear me? I said get out! The base is just down the street!"

Roxas flinched when he raised his voice but as he started to do what he was told, Axel reached over and pulled him back and into a rough kiss. Roxas grabbed the sides of his face and returned the passion filled kiss for a moment before drawing back and breaking into tears, "Axel I…"

"I know…me too," what was he going to say? He was sorry? He didn't want to go? He loved him? Roxas wanted to say all three, and Axel just wanted to do the same. He held onto him as he cried into his shoulder. It was a cruel situation they were in, and though it wasn't the first time fate hadn't been on their sides it certainly was the worst. Roxas managed to recompose himself and he looked at Axel for quite some time. He wanted to say it, he really did. He wanted to tell him how important he'd become and how much he treasured being with him; he wanted to tell him he loved him. They both knew that to say it out loud was to forever ruin both of their chances at carrying on.

Without another word Roxas got out of the car and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The air was fresh and the day was bright but he managed somehow to tune out all of that as Axel drove away. Even after he turned the corner and left Roxas' sight he didn't move, a part of him hoping that Axel would come back around the corner and tell him to get in. They could leave this place and go far away, but they both knew they'd be found and caught and the outcomes of that would be far worse than the ones they'd already earned. This was for the best. This was the way things should be. Sins. Virtues.

Axel knew that too but as he stood in front of the sin base he felt anything but sure about what he was doing. Maybe it would be better if he just ran off and hid, one of the virtues managed it for years but he knew the sins were different. He remembered what happened and wondered if the search for the new Envy had begun or if they were waiting and looking for revenge first. He'd brought this on himself and knew he had to face it, opening the door and going inside.

Demyx and Xigbar were sitting at the bar when he came in and they both looked up when they heard the door. There was someone else in the room though that Axel hadn't noticed at first, but when Riku's foot collided with the side of his head it was clear he'd been waiting by the door for him to return. Axel was knocked over but neither Demyx nor Xigbar tried to intervene, though Demyx hurried off to get the others.

Axel tried to get up but Riku kicked him over, "So you had the nerve to come back," he scoffed before bringing his foot down to smash Axel's face. Axel wasn't going to just take this though and he grabbed Riku's foot before it hit him this time. Knowing what was coming Riku jerked his foot back and avoided the flames from his hands. Axel immediately took over the offense and leapt back to his feet, lashing a flame clad hand at him. Riku wasn't expecting it but easily avoided his attacks, Axel's mental and emotional restlessness making his movements sloppy.

Other sins were coming downstairs to watch what they all knew would be Axel's last stand. It was made quite clear that Riku wanted to deal with him on his own and the others understood why.

Riku ducked another attack before sliding through Axel's legs and getting up behind him quickly. Axel started to turn but Riku was faster and wrapped an arm around his neck and put him in a tight choke hold. Axel grabbed his arm and tried to pull him off since he couldn't start a fire this close to risk his own safety but Riku wasn't budging. Resorting to the next best thing Axel lunged forward and ducked, throwing Riku over him and to the ground in front of him. He still didn't let go though and Axel fell too as Riku struggled to regain control. During one brief instant in which their eyes locked Axel noticed something. He could read it in his eyes. Riku was a Wrath priority. Without hesitation he shoved Riku off of him and grabbed his throat with one hand, the other going right over his heart.

Immediately the others caught onto what Axel was doing. All the wrath in Riku's soul was literally being wrapped around his heart under Axel's hand. It was a technique used in priority situations like this and the last time he'd had a priority high enough for this was with Roxas months ago. It was odd and horrifying, this had never happened to a sin before and at first the others didn't know how to help since only Axel could decide when to stop; and though it was clear Riku was in agonizing pain they couldn't do anything but watch and shout protests.

Axel ignored them all, the sins shouting and Riku's pain. He didn't know what else to do. He was going to be punished either way so why did he even bother fighting back? Maybe he just wanted to make Riku pay for blowing their cover, screwing up his life, or maybe he just wanted to cause someone else the same pain he was feeling.

"Riku!"

Axel heard that shout out of all the others, looking over to the stairs and spotting Sora hurrying down. Luxord caught him by the arm and restrained him so he couldn't go any closer since he'd only make things worse. He looked horrified and continued to shout, "Axel stop it! You're killing him!"

Indeed he was but he didn't care. Riku's struggles were growing shorter and weaker as he thrashed and tried to pull away from him. Axel continued to look at Sora though. He was alive. During the chaos yesterday Sora was almost killed and that was why Riku attacked him: for revenge. In his situation Axel would do the same thing. Could he really kill him for that though? And more importantly: could he face Sora, or any of them for that matter, if he were to kill him? The answer was no and with a dejected sigh he let go of Riku, releasing the death grip on his heart.

As soon as he was free Riku struck Axel across the head quick and hard. Axel wasn't expecting it and his vision blurred before he fell over, landing on the floor next to him. Riku sat up, trying to catch his breath and his chest aching horribly. The other sins rushed over to see if he was okay, "I'll be fine," he assured them, Xigbar helping him to his feet, "Lock him up downstairs…Five years of solitary confinement should be the bare minimum."

* * *

It's weird having bangs now…Ah, anyways, what did you think of all that? Wishing you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	12. Sinful Reunions

So after the last chapter and reading a few of the reviews I've gathered that it left quite a lot of you on edge, which means my aim was reached

So after the last chapter and reading a few of the reviews I've gathered that it left quite a lot of you on edge, which means my aim was reached! Haha, I'm sorry but I love suspense. Will the ending of this chapter leave you hanging off another cliff?

**IMPORTANT!!** Well I've decided to leave a big decision up to you guys! Who should I match Demyx up with in this story? In my first story (When the Circus Came to Town) it was implied that he and Xigbar were getting pretty close and in my second story (A Pirate's Life for Us) he ended up with Xigbar even though Zexion had feelings for him. This time I can see it going either way and have almost an entire chapter devoted to whichever way it goes so I've decided to leave the choice up to you guys. Go to my ff. net homepage and vote on the poll entitled 'Which of the sins should Demyx be with?' You don't have to be a member of ff. net to vote and I want everyone who reads the story to vote, BUT ONLY ONCE! No ballot stuffing please! Demyx's happiness (and technically his title as uke or seme) is for you to determine!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Sinful Reunions**

Larxene pulled up to the club with a certain sense of urgency, ignoring the clearly marked fire zone and parking there anyway. Hastily she hurried to the door and the two bouncers at the door didn't bother trying to stop her since they knew she was associated with the club's owners. With little to no consideration for the personal space of others she shoved her way through the crowd and to the bar, reaching over and grabbing Luxord's arm as he passed by.

"Larxene?" he sounded surprised to say the least since her visits had been rare over the past year.

"Clear these people out. I have important news," she vaguely stated, not needing to elaborate. When Larxene had news she had news and without hesitation Luxord went down to the end of the bar and socked a man right in the face. Within seconds a ferocious bar fight was in process. Bouncers quickly broke up the mess of people beating each other senseless, Demyx clutching his head and not getting off the floor. Zexion and the other sins rushed to see if he was okay, a bouncer asking, "Mr. Puck sir, are you alright?"

Demyx whimpered and shook his head, removing one of his hands only to reveal a mess of blood and matted hair. "Get everyone out of here, we're closing until further notice," Xigbar barked at the alarmed bouncer. In a matter of minutes the entire club was empty, the music off, and the lights back to standard floor lighting.

"How'd I do?" Demyx asked Zexion eagerly as he washed the fake blood out of the blonde's hair.

Zexion smiled and dunked his head back into the sink behind the bar, "Worthy of an award." As soon as all of the sins had come back after making sure there was nobody in the club Larxene set down to business, "I see Axel's not here."

"You know he's got four more years of solitary," Luxord said disinterestedly as she sat down at the bar and shrugged off her jacket, "It's a punishment we all know he earned."

"You'll have to release him by tomorrow," Larxene told them, not agreeing or disagreeing with their belief on punishment, "I'm going to need all of you for this one."

"Wait just a minute, who are you anyway?" Sora asked, never having heard of or met Larxene in the three years he'd been with them.

Larxene glanced over at him but didn't say anything, surprised to find she wasn't known of. After a brief stare off she looked him up and down, scoffed and examined her fingernails, clearly not interested or amused by his antics. "This is Larxene, the original product of both the sin and virtue experiments," Riku explained, "She's the one who brought us all together."

Sora knew there was more and he wanted to know what her history with the sins was but Zexion had a question that was far more important, "What's going on?" he asked, pulling Demyx's head back out of the water as the sin gasped for air much like a fish.

Larxene merely stood up and headed for the door, "Come to my office tomorrow at noon sharp. I'll tell you everything you need to know then. Don't forget to bring Axel." When the door shut behind her they all exchanged a look amongst themselves. Whatever was going on it must have been something serious.

Demyx was the first to break the silence after he shook his hair dry much like a dog, soaking Zexion in the process, "So should we let him out?"

"We don't have much of a choice it sounds like," Sora sighed. It had been just over a year since they locked up their Wrath but he wasn't the only one who'd undergone solitary confinement. In the past Xigbar went through it for two years because of mental instability after being plagued with shell shock. Zexion voluntarily spent a year in solitary three times now. His reasoning was he needed time to compress and forget all the things he'd seen and alone was the easiest way to do it. "Besides," Sora added, "I think by now he's realized the magnitude of his crime."

"We'll just have to see about that," Riku didn't believe that and wasn't keen on the idea of letting him out early. A year for them was similar to a month in a normal lifespan, and he didn't think that was nearly enough time to redeem Axel. Most of the others were under the same impression though.

* * *

"Ah, the madam is expecting you, please follow me."

The group of seven easily fit in the large elevator and the bellman took them up to the 5th floor of the casino, far above where a normal visitor would ever set foot. Down the narrow walkway and to the door, they were all surprised when it opened before they knocked. Larxene stood there with a smirk on her face, "Just in time," she said before stepping aside and letting them in. Just as they crossed into the room they froze when they saw who else was there, "What are you doing here?" Seifer demanded, looking over the room of sins that had made themselves comfortable around the office.

Riku got to his feet immediately, "Not sure, but now I suppose we'll kill you," he said as the other sins got up and ready for a fight; all except for one was up and a virtue immediately noticed him, "Axel?" he said in an inaudible tone. Roxas saw him from across the room where he sat on the floor by the fireplace. His wrists were bound behind his back and he looked very unkempt. Over a year in solitary had changed him both internally and externally, a certain lack of fire in his eyes and an extra inch or two to his hair. His shoulders were slouched and his skin pale from the lack of sun he'd seen, but Roxas immediately recognized him and broke routine as he left the virtues and tried to go to him.

Axel looked up when he heard him and immediately recognized him, a certain life returning to his eyes. Roxas saw it and smiled but barely two steps to him Luxord blocked his way. Roxas froze and Larxene quickly broke the tension before a fight could erupt, "Stop it all of you! Do you still not see it after all of these years?!" Nobody moved nor did they say anything, "You're both striving for the same goal! I brought you here today because there's something you have to work together to accomplish!"

"They're our enemy," Squall said, casting a disgusted look at the sins, "We were created to-"

"You were created to bring out the good in man which you were named for and prevent corruption!" Larxene cut him short before looking back over to the sins, "And you were created to prevent what you were named for and created from, also trying to prevent corruption!"

This wasn't the first time that Larxene had tried to convince them they fought for the same side, but it had been the first time they'd both been there for it. "We have to eliminate all sin, including those who embody it fully," Seifer said.

"Could start by hanging yourself then," Zexion said coldly. Seifer charged him but Riku blocked his path and before Seifer could evade he punched him right in the face. This triggered a flash response from everyone and a battle erupted. Roxas ducked past Luxord as he was distracted by Vincent, running straight over towards Axel. Suddenly, and without warning, there was a gunshot that made them all freeze. Roxas dropped to his knees, one hand clutching his bleeding shoulder tightly and the other trying to support himself. Seifer still had the gun aimed at him and the sins seemed to be the only ones surprised by the virtue's attack on one of his own.

Axel stared at him without a word, not budging an inch but looking quite a bit more aware of the world around him. Roxas looked up at him with a slight and forced smile though, "Hi," was all he had to say before putting his head on Axel's shoulder and without a word Axel rested his head against him.

"Why'd you shoot him?" Demyx spoke up first, outraged by the scene.

Seifer didn't move the gun away still, "Because, he's a traitor. Roxas get away from him!"

"Put the gun away this instant," Larxene ordered as she stepped in front of the two on their knees. Seifer stared at her for a moment with a strong look of disapproval in his eyes; he submitted to her request though and put the gun back into his inner jacket pocket. Larxene looked over the room then gestured to the two behind her, "Do you see what I mean? There's no point in you fighting, they should be proof enough that you're similar. If they can put aside their race why can't you?" None of them said anything for a long time, just staring at them as Larxene's words rang through their minds.

"For starters, we don't wanna work with 'em," Cid scoffed, going over and grabbing the collar of Roxas' shirt, jerking him back away from Axel. Axel moved to go after him but Xigbar put a foot on the chain between his wrists tied behind his back to keep him in his place. Larxene turned on Cid and with a quick hand smacked him across the face, "I don't care what you want!" Cid and the others all froze and Larxene looked to Zexion, who quickly took that as his cue and hurried over, placing his hand over the gun wound on Roxas' shoulder. Roxas couldn't look him in the eyes and as soon as he finished Zexion stood up and walked back over to the other side of the room.

"Is there a reason you brought us here?" Luxord asked firmly, growing tired of her peace preaching.

"_The messiah has returned,_" Larxene said as she made her way back towards her desk, "That was the message I received yesterday morning."

"What was the kook's return address?" Seifer asked, all of them knowing this wasn't a matter to be joked around with.

Larxene reached into her desk and pulled out an opened envelope, blank all save for her name, "Nothing. And I ran it through a lab connection I have downtown but there isn't any trace of DNA on the envelope or letter, no fingerprints or residues either."

"How did you get it?" Luxord asked, "It couldn't have been through the mail, otherwise there would be fingerprints on the envelope and miniscule amounts of foreign DNA from other parcels it traveled with."

"It was on my desk when I woke up," the more Larxene explained the less things made sense, "The only way he could've gotten in without the guards catching him would be through the chimney but I had a fire going last night because it was cold."

"Envelope aside, the point is there's some loon claiming to be the messiah," Xigbar sighed, having dealt with one too many crazies in his lifetime, "What do you want us to do?"

"As you all know the number of priority missions for each of you has grown 36 percent over the past two days, an unheard of statistic which I'm surprised none of you asked me about. Who was at the monitor two nights ago?" she asked, looking up from the letter. Luxord and Cloud's hands went up and she asked, "What happened at midnight?"

"You can't expect us to watch that closely," Luxord scoffed, only doing a check every 30 minutes or so.

Cloud had a different answer though, "At midnight every mission vanished but at 12:01 priority missions came out of nowhere in mass." Luxord gave him an unimpressed look, not liking the fact he was made out to be less efficient.

"Exactly, and when I woke up this letter was on my desk," Larxene said, confident that the two events were connected, "We aren't dealing with your standard 'loon' and since he's affecting both of you, not to mention the rest of humanity, it would be beyond foolish if you didn't come together for this one."

"Are you saying you actually believe he is the messiah?" Riku scoffed, skeptic at the very least, "Even if he was why would the number of priority missions increase? It's not as if he can be the judge."

"Who set those standards that determine what is and what isn't a sin to begin with?" she asked with an amused smirk, "Though the men and women who created you first established what was good and evil, I've changed and evolved those standards using mankind's views as well as your own experiences. The technology you rely on goes off of what I see around and through you boys. The fact I didn't change anything just goes to show that it's reacting to a higher authority than myself." That came as a huge shock. The system they used was a mystery to a few of them in the room, at the most knowing Larxene was in control, but that was because she was the root of them. She was where it all started and to know there was something or someone greater than that solidified the theory of a messiah.

The tension in the room was immense, nobody sure what to say or do. Larxene stood up though and crossed over to the fireplace, pulling Roxas free of Cid's grip and letting him go, "All I'm saying is that you're going to have to put aside you're differences for a while. There's a much bigger problem than which group of seven is the most righteous." Roxas reached out and put a hand on Axel's knee, looking from him to Larxene. She gave him a reassuring smile as if to let him know everything would be okay, and Roxas believed her.

* * *

"Why a sty," Seifer huffed, looking around the night club with a look of distaste.

"Well we're sorry if it's not you're hilltop manor, we prefer to take care of ourselves rather than rely on investors and people we blackmail," Riku said spitefully. When it came down to deciding which of the two bases to use the sins' was far better equipped. Barely a minute in the same building and already there was trouble arising though, certainly not a reassuring sign. Luxord stepped in and reminded them why they were there, "Let's just break down what we know and put together a plan of action."

"At precisely 12:00 AM on October 13th, eastern standard time, all of our missions blanked out completely," Demyx began, making himself comfortable by the warm heater behind the bar.

Tidus continued though he didn't venture in beyond the few feet by the door, "Exactly one minute later everything returned, new priority missions multiplying quickly and out of thin air."

"As of noon today the percent of increase over the past two days has been an astronomical 36 and has been rising a steady five percent average every eight hours since then," Zexion brought in the statistics that astounded them all, "The sins most prioritized for both of us have been lust, envy, and greed."

"Though we've all been working hard two new priorities pop up every time we take care of one," Sora concluded, "The letter Larxene found on her desk had no clues whatsoever as to who sent it but the peculiar thing is the main areas where priority missions are arising are in areas around established bases."

"We should go and search them for hints as quickly as possible," Roxas insisted, trying to pay attention but it was difficult seeing as he was back here after a long year. This place used to be like home to him and while the sins made themselves comfortable, he and the virtues stood at attention.

Luxord shook his head, "That would be suicide. We need to wait for proper information on what we're up against and determine the best course of retaliation."

"What a cowardly thing to do," Squall spat disapprovingly.

"If you want to go to go then go right ahead," Zexion said calmly, "He could be dangerous but I'm sure it won't take your friends very long to find your replacement once you're gone."

"Why you-" Squall was mad but Seifer grabbed his arm and held him back, "If they want to take the cowardly approach then so be it. Let the blood of the innocent be on their hands and not ours."

Riku laughed a bit and shook his head disapprovingly, "I don't see you running off to do anything Seifer." Seifer said nothing and Riku knew he was thinking the same thing they were, "If we are up against some kind of messiah we need to be damn careful what we do, even if he is a fake."

Discussion ensued loudly and Roxas ignored the squabbling comrades and went over to where Tidus sat down on the floor, "They won't get anything done if they don't listen to each other," he said with a sigh.

Tidus nodded a little, not saying anything though since he was very used to the bickering virtues. Instead he looked around the base which was far different from the one they resided in, "…So this is where you were?"

"It's a really nice place once you get used to it," Roxas assured him, though it was clear Tidus didn't plan on getting used to it. A night club was several notches below a manor and Roxas knew that, but he felt better off here than across town.

"That's him right?" Roxas didn't look to where Tidus pointed, "That's Axel?" Roxas nodded and forced a smile. "Why don't you go talk to him?" Tidus suggested, "Not like there's anything anyone can do about you guys for now."

He was right but Roxas wasn't sure. He could hear his comrades arguing and fussing with the people he once belonged with. Things had changed over a year's time, both Axel and himself. "Go," Tidus said, giving him a shove, "You're going to have to work together anyway." Roxas moved with the shove and quickly went over to the table where Axel sat with his head against the wood, his wrists still chained behind his back. Upon hearing his footsteps though Axel looked up at him without a word. Roxas hesitated to approach at first. His face was so blank and void of life he could only imagine what he'd been through in their time apart. A smirk finally tugged at the corner of Axel's mouth though and it looked like the first time he'd broken out any facial expression in his entire lifetime, "Hey Roxas."

Roxas smiled and hurried over to him, sitting down on the floor beside him with a happy look in his eyes, "Good to see you're still alive."

Axel chuckled and sat up, "Could say the same for you. I'm surprised a pansy like you survived the Virtue's training."

Roxas didn't take offence because he too was surprised he'd made it, "It was hard but I-"

"Roxas! Don't talk to him!" Seifer barked from the bar.

Roxas quickly hung his head and started to get up but Axel spoke up, "Why shouldn't he talk to me? You're talking to Riku." Arguing and cursing were probably a better choice of words than talking.

"He's got a point," Tidus said, accepting the disapproving look from Seifer before he continued his argument with his rival sin.

Roxas sat back down and Axel shook his head, "Wow, you're whipped."

"Am not!" Roxas quickly said.

Axel laughed and looked down at the annoyed virtue, "…I missed you."

Roxas smiled and took one of Axel's bound hands in both of his own. It had been so long since he'd seen him, heard his voice, felt his hand close around his own, "I missed you too Axel."

"Listen up everyone," Luxord shouted to get everyone's attention. They all looked to him and ceased their separate conversations, "While we're under the same roof we may as well try and make peace for the time being. We'll have to double up on rooms and keep up to par on priority missions."

"I'm not giving up my room for some virtue," Xigbar said gruffly.

"Dibs on bunking with Zexy!" Demyx cheered, running over and grabbing onto the sin who looked away in embarrassment.

"We only have six rooms," Riku pointed out. After he and Sora started sharing one a couple years back the 7th room was turned into storage space, "And the number seven doesn't break into pairs evenly." He was right and everyone looked over to Roxas and Axel.

Roxas wanted to smile at the thought of getting to stay with Axel again but the disapproving looks kept him from doing so, "Axel and I can share a room," he proposed meekly.

"I don't think so," Seifer said, "I think it's a better idea if you guys stay away from each other."

"Would you rather the two of us share a room?" Riku asked with a grin as Seifer grumbled something. It was clear that Roxas and Axel were going to get some time together.

"Now that room assignments are finished I think we should take care of some dual missions," Luxord said, beckoning for the others to follow him.

"Dual mission?" Roxas asked, looking to Axel for an explanation as the others left.

"They're a rare occurrence, but every once in a while missions show up that involve both a virtue and a sin," Axel told him, "Unless they're of priority status we can take care of them with just one half of the pair and we've only had three in the past hundred years. It's easier to take care of dual missions, even if they aren't priority status, if we work together though."

"Wow, I never knew someone could be guilt of both a sin and a virtue," Roxas commented, thinking about it carefully.

"Don't worry too much about it," Axel said, looking down at him with a smile, "Man…you've changed." It was a subtle change but Roxas definitely looked more alive and aware of himself and the world. He'd gotten stronger and clearly wasn't the meek and weak little thing Axel used to know.

Roxas smiled proudly, happy to hear that, "Thanks. You too…but not for the better. You're a mess," he said, breaking the serious moment and standing up. He ruffled a hand through the messy and always untamable hair. Axel merely laughed and though there was much to tell they didn't plan on letting each other know what happened over the past year, "I missed you," was all Axel said.

Roxas smiled and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, resting his head against Axel's, "I missed you too." Even though, just like before, their time together couldn't last long they were already cherishing every moment. Axel heard a clinking and felt one of Roxas' hands on the metal bindings behind his wrists, "Not sure which one of them has the key."

"I can get them off," Roxas said with a smile and to Axel's alarm he felt the links on the chain come apart right between Roxas' fingers. As soon as he was free he stood up and turned around as Roxas lunged to hold him. Axel still had questions though and he had to know, "How did you do that?"

Roxas' smile didn't falter as he explained, "I can break apart the bonds in anything manmade. I guess you could call it my talent."

"That's pretty impressive," Axel really was surprised. Roxas' specialty had been an interest of his since he learned he's become a virtue.

Roxas flushed a bit, surprised by the compliment, "I'm not that good yet," he quickly admitted modestly, "The biggest thing I can break down is a bicycle."

"But to have even that much down after just a year is more than amazing," Axel insisted. It took him three years to control his fire without burning himself and another two after that until he finally mastered it.

"Thanks," the fact Axel was talking to him as though nothing had gone on since the day they parted made him feel beyond comfortable around someone that the others had tried to convince him was an enemy, "I'd ask how you've been but I guess that would be a bad question."

Axel laughed a bit and it was a sound he clearly hadn't made in a long time, "I have a better question: why are we talking?"

Roxas' gaze fell instantly, "You're right. We shouldn't be. The others will-" Axel cut him short though when he pulled his gaze back up and took hold of the sides of his face, pulling him into a kiss. That was all it took to wipe away the time and events that happened during their time apart. Axel was right, why were they talking when there were so many other things they could be doing?

* * *

"You've got to be kidding," Riku mumbled under his breath, eyeing the large screen on the wall that displayed all of the dual missions available, and there was only one priority. It was the fourth one this century.

Demyx snickered and nudged him with his elbow, "Man, this is going to be awkward for you." He cringed as Riku thwacked him over the head, clearly not in a good mood as he looked back to the screen. _Dual mission. __PRIORITY ALERT__! Sin: Pride. Virtue: Kindness._

* * *

The room hadn't been touched until now and as Roxas lie on his side trying to catch his breath he took notice of the thick layer of dust and memories that lingered on everything. Axel saw his eyes wandering around and kissed his forehead, "Kind of weird isn't it?"

Roxas nodded and huddled closer into Axel's arms, "Guess you haven't seen it in a while either."

"The only things I've over the past year have been black cell walls," Axel chucked hoarsely though Roxas didn't find any reason to laugh about it. He'd been locked up for so long, all alone, while Roxas grew and experienced a new life out in the world far from his prison cell, "Don't look so grim, it really wasn't that bad."

"How can you say that?" Roxas mumbled as he idly drew circles on Axel's bare chest with his fingertips, "Being alone for that long? I couldn't do it."

Axel smiled a bit and flicked Roxas' nose, "Well you're weak," he said, making Roxas smile a bit though it was clear he still doubted it. Axel had changed somehow and Roxas couldn't put his finger on just how yet, "Besides. I wasn't alone," what Axel said next told Roxas what was different and nearly brought him to tears, "I had good memories too keep me company."

Roxas smile grew and he rested his head against Axel's chest with a content sigh. It felt like things hadn't changed at all. He wouldn't be surprised if in just a few hours music from the club downstairs came muffled through the walls as people danced and drank below. Nobody knew what this place was or what the people who ran it were, Roxas wasn't even 100 percent sure of that himself but he was learning. A year had passed and they hadn't aged. A birthday meant nothing anymore and the number 20 was just an age he didn't earn or look. Forever a teenager. It was an attribute many would kill for but the sins and virtues had been killed for.

* * *

That wasn't much of a cliffhanger…at least not in my opinion. Some of you may be pondering how the dual mission will go and to be honest so am I. Summer break just started though and between chilling with friends and job hunting I'll be sure to write. Just so you all know, I expect the story line to get a bit serious and while it's set present day in our society any and all events are fictional and straight out of my head so there are no instances of it happening. I just feel like I should disclose this now because I don't want anything to be offensive to my readers, especially if religion gets dragged into part of the plot. I truly thank all of you for taking the time to read and I hope you will review now because I luv everyone who does so! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

**!!**I'm pondering a contest. If anyone has any ideas PM me and you'll get credit for the contest concept**!!**


	13. Sinful Perceptions

Wow so that poll is pretty much decided and I don't think Xigbar will be able to catch up! Hi again everyone, thanks for voting! Not too much Demyx loving in this chapter, it's mostly focused on the dual mission, but there is a bit! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Sinful Perceptions**

"_You going to be okay?"_

_Roxas grumbled something under his breath, clearly embarrassed and Axel's laughing didn't make him feel any better, "Shut up."_

_Axel sat up and looked down at him with a grin, "You shouldn't have pushed yourself."_

"_You shouldn't have been so rough! I get the fact that it's been a year but really Axel," Roxas quickly retorted, heaving a sigh into his pillow. How was he going to explain his inability to move to the others?_

"_You'll be up and ready for more in no time," Axel assured him confidently, "Not like you'll have anything to do today anyway."_

"Liar."

"What?"

Roxas looked away from the frosty window and to Riku, who sat across from him with a book in one hand. Roxas realized he'd said that out loud and immediately regretted his choice for the first word spoken between them, "I said…like her?" he tried to cover up his slip and pointed out of the window on the door.

Riku glanced up from his book at the attendant passing by their car window. She was round, old, and frumpy looking, the furthest thing from what he was interested in, "What a stupid question," he said disapprovingly before looking back to the page.

Roxas knew it had been a lousy cover up since he clearly knew Riku wasn't interested but was glad Riku didn't pursue him. Shortly after Axel suggested he rest their time together was cut short by news of the priority dual mission. Neither one of them were thrilled by the fact they had to work together and a long quiet train ride through the French countryside didn't help. While he should have been enjoying the scenery, Roxas found himself worrying what Riku was thinking and what he wanted to do to him. It seemed though, due to his lack of expression or conversation, he didn't care or even acknowledge Roxas' existence. Roxas was partially to blame though since he hadn't exactly tried to start up any sort of interaction, "So how have things been going for you and Sora?" he figured it was worth a shot but when Riku looked up from the book at him with a clearly disapproving stare Roxas shrunk in his seat and looked back out the frosty window, almost wishing he could disappear under his furry hat.

"I suggest you mind your own business," was all Riku said and Roxas didn't dare look back. Riku had tried to kill him once and just because they needed to work together for this mission he wondered if he wouldn't just kill him as soon as it was over.

Though he didn't look at him Roxas spoke up, "It was just a question. He's my brother so I have the right to be curious."

"You clearly haven't learned yet," was all Riku said, "We don't have rights. And you don't have a brother."

Roxas wanted to say something but he bit his lip and forced himself to ignore the sin. Riku's rhetoric was far sharper and more refined than his own and he knew he'd only lose if he continued this argument. When the silence became suffocating he reached into his bag and pulled out a thin folder, opening it up and reviewing the overall objective of the mission for the tenth or so time.

_Location: Le Havre, France_

_Status: Dual priority. (Pride & Kindness)_

_Objective: Eliminate the revolutionary youths of Pays de Caux._

Pays de Caux occupied a good portion of northern France and was one of the few remaining strongholds of the Norman language. Le Havre was right on the water and had the 12th greatest population in all of France, bits of information Roxas retained from school about the city, but he didn't know how cold the temperature was, "Riku why are we going after revolutionaries? They're just trying to make a better life." Riku didn't answer him and Roxas sighed with a clear note of annoyance. Of all the sins he could have been paired with why did it have to be the one who hated him the most?

As he asked himself that the train jerked to a stop and he lurched out of his seat though the halt didn't alter Riku's composure at all. He shut his book, stood up and stepped over Roxas, going to the door and opening up the car to see what was going on. Other passengers were doing the same, asking each other for bits of information. "Why did we stop?" Roxas asked as he sat up and collected the fallen folder and its contents.

"Looks like our targets decided to save us the trouble of finding them," Riku said under his visible clouds of breath. He shut the door as a man shouted down the hall in a heavy French dialect. Roxas was unfamiliar with the language but the language of gunfire was universal. There were screams but Riku merely opened his bag and took out the twin blades, glancing over at Roxas as he sharpened them against each other.

Roxas didn't cringe or even acknowledge him, other than to ask, "What did he say?"

"Something along the lines of 'Alright wealthy bastards, hands up, wallets out.' A bit of a cliché line for a bad guy," Riku said uninterestedly.

This was one of those instances where Roxas should have held his tongue but his mouth didn't agree, "I'm sure you know plenty of them."

Riku turned on him and abruptly stopped sharpening. Roxas feared maybe the fact they had to work together wouldn't be enough to keep Riku from attacking him, but after a few moments of silence save for the screams outside, Riku said curtly, "Just get ready to fight."

Roxas didn't move right away, still worried about what would happen when he turned his back. He knew that with the footsteps coming down the hall though he had to be ready so without a word he reached back into his bag, putting the folder away and retrieving a set of very unusual gloves, each finger a dark and versatile metal, and sharpened to a tip just an inch beyond his fingers. He took a bit of pride in putting them on because of the looks Riku gave them, but then he understood why he seemed interested, "Those are the same as Sora's."

"I didn't steal them if that's what you're implying," Roxas mumbled, wanting to flip him a rude hand gesture in the gloves but deciding otherwise. Riku opened the door just as someone was walking down the hall, deliberately nailing the revolutionary hard enough so his head went through the glass, "Whoops, sorry," he said with a grin. Despite all Roxas had come to hate him for, he couldn't help but find Riku terribly cool at that moment.

"Americans?" the rest of the group farther up the hall readied to attack after seeing what happened to their friend and Riku hurried down to stop them in their tracks.

By the time Roxas reached the doorway and, not phased by the screams, stepped out into the hall the four who initially threatened them were now dead and Riku had another pinned to the ground, "Are there others?" he asked the terrified revolutionary. Roxas had nearly forgotten how fast Riku was and knew he'd have to work hard to keep up; this was his mission too and he couldn't let Riku brush him aside that easily.

"There are others in the two other passenger cars," the French man stuttered in perfect English. It looked as though he was going to say more, that or beg for his life, but Riku decapitated him before he could do so. He got to his feet and headed back down the hall, "You heard him," was all he said, clearly disapproving of Roxas just standing there.

"You didn't have to kill them," Roxas murmured as he followed Riku down the hall, ignoring the stares of petrified passengers who watched the scene in shock and fear.

Riku ignored him and Roxas wanted to sock him for killing men he could have just restrained and unarmed. Human lives were so short; cutting them to an end so soon was a deed Roxas would never accept as the only solution. As Riku opened the door to the next car though he saw a sight that made his stomach tighten. Four more revolutionaries. Three dead passengers. A family dead on the ground. They'd tried to run, Roxas could tell, and were gunned down. One of the men was pulling a necklace off the mother and Roxas felt his hatred growing as the fragile chain broke and the man dropped the necklace into the stash bag of assorted wealth. They didn't care that people were panicking, screaming, crying; they just cared about the profit.

"Do you understand now?"

Roxas didn't answer Riku, instead running ahead and throwing himself at the man looting the corpses. He was smaller but easily took him down and held him down with his arms behind his back. His ears were ringing and it only got worse when one of the revolutionaries clocked him over the head with the hilt of a gun. Roxas was stunned and the man he had restrained threw him off in that moment. Gunfire filled the air and Roxas instinctively rolled backwards and into the safety of a car. He took a second to catch his breath, looking around and realizing he was receiving a horrified stare from a woman who'd crouched down as if trying to hide in the corner, an infant crying loudly in her arms. He looked up as someone stepped into the doorway and fired at the woman, causing her to scream and instantly fall over lifelessly with the infant still crying in her arms.

Roxas could only stare in disbelief, as her eyes stared blankly back at him. With an infuriated curse Roxas lunged up and grabbed the man's gun, pressing his bare thumb against the metal and it instantly fell apart as if it were merely sand in the wind. Before he knew what he'd done he stabbed the man through the chest. Both of their eyes grew wide with the sudden realization and Roxas quickly pulled his hand back, which only made things worse as the man collapsed with a cry of agony. Roxas stared at the bloody claws on his fingers, the cries of the infant and the revolutionary ringing loudly through his head. The noise was unbearable and he clasped his hands over his ears, desperately trying to make it all stop. Abruptly the revolutionary's cries ceased but Roxas didn't open his eyes or take his hands away. The only noise he heard was from the train and muffled cries from the infant, which became clearer as he let his hands slip away from his head and his eyes looked down at the decapitated revolutionary.

The man was dead, but not by his hand, and he looked up in the doorway at Riku who was looking past him and at the infant. He looked mad and Roxas' heart froze; was he going to kill it? He hurried over and picked the crying child, holding onto it tightly, "Don't!"

Riku just stared at him, still looking mad, "…You dragged innocent people into this." Roxas couldn't move, realizing he was right and understanding why he was mad. His eyes fell, unable to look at Riku but facing the motherless child was just as difficult. Riku moved aside as Roxas walked out back into the hall and into the car just across from the one where the mother was dead. There was an older couple by the window and as Roxas came in the man stepped in front of his wife, making it clear that despite his age he would protect her. Roxas stared at them for a moment, taking in the sight and wondering what it would be like to grow old with someone you love. Without a word he set the infant down on the floor and left the car, shutting the door behind himself.

Riku was waiting in the hall and when Roxas came back out he told him, "The front car is empty. Whoever was there must've heard the ruckus and taken off."

"Are the passengers in there okay?" Roxas asked rather dully, looking at the family dead in the hall.

Riku nodded but it didn't make Roxas feel any better, "We need to get off the train. There's a town up ahead and we can't be here when the cops are called in." Roxas agreed silently and followed him back to their car, putting their bloody weapons away and after gathering up their bags they jumped off the caboose.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Demyx stopped rummaging through his backpack and looked up at Zexion who'd just woken up with a terrible case of bed head. He smiled and zipped up his bag, "It's Tuesday."

Zexion was confused and he sat up with a tired yawn as he tried to tame his hair, "What's special about Tuesday?"

"Tuesday is Axel day!" Demyx said with a grin, hugging his backpack and falling back so he was lying on the ground looking up at him, "He's been in solitary for a year you know. My Tuesday's have been open for over 360 days and I'm sure he's missed me."

Zexion understood now and forced a smile, pretending to be happy for his fellow sin. There were six of them and one Lust, and he made sure to make time for each of them. In the beginning Envy was Monday, Sloth was Tuesday, Wrath was Wednesday, Greed was Thursday, Pride was Friday, and Gluttony was Saturday. He took Sunday to himself but things had changed a lot since he first set up his 'system.' After the original Envy's death his Monday's were empty, and had been ever since because Sora never took interest in him. Friday's were quiet too over the past few years because Riku fell in love and had Sora to keep him company. Luxord had always been a bit of a homophobic and rarely took Demyx's offer so Thursday's were always dull. "No offense but do you think Axel will want you?" Zexion reminded him, trying to phrase it kindly, "I mean, since Roxas and all…"

Demyx didn't reply right away but his grin didn't falter either, "Well…I can try, right?" he sat up and checked his hair in the mirror before shouldering his bag, "Just because everyone else seems to be finding happiness doesn't mean I have to disappear into the background."

"You could always find happiness for yourself," Demyx suggested.

Demyx just laughed a little, "Nah, it's a little late for that," he said while waving a hand disinterestedly.

"We've got an eternity you know. It's not too late for anything," Zexion reminded him with a smile.

Demyx didn't say anything, looking back to him without the grin he always sported. After a few moments though he shook it off and laughed, "Which book did you get that one out of?" he asked, hurrying back over to the bed and messing up the hair Zexion worked to tame, "See you later Zexy!" And with that said he was gone. Zexion fixed his hair with a tired sigh as he got out of bed. He was the only one of the sins who always got out of bed still wearing clothes after spending a night with Demyx.

* * *

'_Axel's worried I bet,'_ Roxas thought, enjoying the fact that Axel was acting a lot more caring lately. Roxas tried to imagine he was there with that fire, internally and externally, but that thought didn't keep him warm. After jumping off the train they walked back a few miles to a town they'd passed and rented a room for the night. Roxas tried to rest while Riku searched for information on the revolutionaries; he looked older and was able to get into places Roxas couldn't due to the virtue's less hardened and more youthful appearance.

The town was small, a fishing community, and Roxas wondered where they would go if no info on the revolutionaries turned up here. In theory this mission could go on for days, weeks even, simply because the limited knowledge of the group. That would make things easy once they found them though; a lack of reputation meant the revolutionaries weren't a major threat. If that was true though then why did they appear as a priority status mission? The door opened and a fierce chill swept through the room with a breeze. Roxas sat up and saw Riku come in, wet from the rain and clearly not feeling well, "They're stationed in a wine cellar across town, we'll deal with them in a little while."

"Why not now?" Roxas asked, wondering why they were waiting.

"Because my head hurts and I hate this weather," Riku said, giving him a look as if daring him to question his reasons. He shrugged off his soaking jacket and went over to the other bed, flopping back with a tired sigh.

"You're going to get a cold if you don't dry off," Roxas told him, but Riku didn't heed his warning or even acknowledge that he'd heard him. He had no idea how his brother put up with such a stubborn jerk.

"That was the first time you've seen someone killed right in front of you, wasn't it? Roxas looked over at him only to see Riku staring at him. How could he tell? Roxas merely nodded and Riku rolled over so he faced the wall, "You've spent over a year with them and never been on this sort of mission. Just goes to show what kind of people you are."

Roxas didn't take offense to the statement, instead he just said, "They're very different from you guys."

"Don't pretend to know us," Riku said, not liking the sense of familiarity Roxas was using, "You only spent two or so months with us as a captive."

What Riku didn't know was that Roxas would give anything to go back to those two months. Times were confusing and unpleasant in parts but those months changed him and his perspective on the world forever, "You're right…Hey Riku, those men today, the revolutionaries…why are they considered a priority? Today I only saw bad in them, no pride and no kindness."

"They're pretending to be the 'Robin Hood's of this area," he explained, having collected enough information to know what he was talking about, "The people around here have suffered from poverty since WWII when this area was bombed. The revolutionaries all come from poor families and have spent the past few months robbing wealthy people in the big cities."

"But how does that make them our responsibility?" Roxas still didn't understand why they had to do this when it sounded more like a mission for Greed, Luxord.

"They take great pride in the fact they're helping the helpless, more than they should, and their so-called 'selfless acts of kindness' are all done to help the people in this area," Riku summed up in simple terms, "While it sounds like they're good people, you saw today just how far they're willing to go to fulfill their own wants and the needs of people here."

Roxas nodded and sighed heavily, wondering if what they were doing was right. Sure lives of the wealthy were being endangered by the revolutionaries but they were only doing it to help the people nobody else would. He wasn't there to question though, just carry out the mission.

* * *

"Hallo Axel!" Demyx greeted as he opened the door, spotting the exhausted looking redhead sitting up in bed. He shut the door and dropped his bag before quickly running over and jumping onto the bed, "Man it's dusty in here. You'd think nobody's been here for months."

Axel chuckled at Demyx's joke, "Yeah, but that wouldn't make any sense would it?" As Demyx made himself comfortable though he sighed, "Look, I'm really not feeling well today so-"

"Oh no! Are you sick?" Demyx cut him off, quickly sitting back up and putting a hand on his forehead, "You've got a fever! Hang on I'll go get you something!"

As Demyx tried to go to the medicine cabinet though Axel grabbed his wrist and stopped him, "Demyx," he said in a tone that made it clear he wasn't in the mood.

Demyx knew that already but didn't look back at him, "I understand…"

"I'm sorry," was all Axel said though it was clear he wasn't going to change his mind.

Axel didn't need or want him, a fact Demyx had to accept, "It's okay," he said, looking back with a smile, "Now my Tuesday's are open!" Yet another sin who once clung to him, used him as a way to feel something in their eternal and often suffocating existence. Yet another sin who found his happiness with someone else, and in a tone that made his pain clear he asked, "Can I stay for a while though?"

"Ofcourse," Axel said, pulling him back onto the bed.

Demyx hugged onto him for a long moment, accepting that it would be the last one he could freely take, and even though it lacked the meaning and feeling it once held it brought him some comfort. Finally he drew back and sat on his heels with the usual smile, "So, are you worried about him?"

"More than he probably knows," Axel said and they both laughed before Demyx assured him, "Don't worry, I'm sure things are going well."

* * *

"Cut them off!" Riku ordered over the noise of the rain. They'd managed to destroy the wine cellar with one explosion but the guards outside their hideout were trying to flee. Roxas was ready but at the last minute the set of six ran the other way, hurrying towards the cliff. Both Riku and Roxas knew if they jumped there would be difficulties finding them in this weather and there was no guarantee the fall would kill them. Riku managed to catch a few by throwing his blades and catching two in the back of the head and then tackling another who stopped to try and help his allies.

Roxas wasn't as fast but he tried to copy his strategy, picking up a rock and hurling it at one of the revolutionaries. His aim was terrible though and he missed his target, Riku gave him a clearly disapproving look but Roxas just cursed himself and kept running on. To his alarm the remaining four all stopped and turned, raising their guns and firing. Roxas dropped to the ground to avoid the fire, relieved to know all of the men's aims were horrible. While they tried to hit Roxas, Riku retrieved his weapons and used the same strategy as before to take out two others. With his allies down the last revolutionary looked around for some escape. Jumping was too frightening and as the pair who'd taken out so many of his fellows came closer he brought the gun to the side of his head.

"No!" Roxas tried to stop him but it was too late. Riku went over to make sure he was dead as Roxas just stared through the rain at the bloody mess the night had become. He had no idea how many people they'd killed or how their deaths would affect others, all he knew was their mission was complete. With an accepting breath of damp air Roxas went over to join Riku, "Are we done?"

He nodded and pulled out the two blades used to finish off the other two, rain washing the blood away quickly, "Yeah, that should take care of things," he said as he headed away from the cliff's edge.

"What happens now?" Roxas didn't know what to expect or what to do anymore, only knowing that he should follow Riku's example if he wanted to come out of this okay. To his horror the eyes of the revolutionary who'd shot himself opened though and looked right at him. His horrified gasp let Riku know something was wrong and when he looked back to see what was wrong the revolutionary was grinning.

"Riku he…" Roxas looked at him in horror, stepping back and almost losing his footing on the edge of the cliff. As Roxas stepped forward and away from the edge Riku rushed over and tried to snatch the gun out of the revolutionary's hand, the man's arm shot up though and fired. Roxas panicked when he saw the blood and without thinking he ran past the revolutionary and ripped the gun from his hands. Riku was on his knees with a hand over his side and Roxas rushed to him, "Are you okay?"

He'd been shot in the lower ribs it looked like but Roxas couldn't tell and Riku wasn't going to stop and show him he was sure, "Run!" he ordered, getting to his feet and taking his hand off the wound. Without waiting to make sure he followed the order Riku charged the now standing and unarmed revolutionary. To his horror the revolutionary blocked attacks from blades with full force behind them with his bare forearms. On one attack he grabbed Riku's fists and Roxas wanted to scream as the revolutionary, with an inhuman strength, forced one of the blades through Riku's chest and slashed the other at his face. While he managed to avoid a serious injury from the slash at his face it still cut his cheek and eye, and the second blade was one he couldn't avoid.

The revolutionary released him and Riku quickly pulled the blade out, before he could get away though the revolutionary grabbed him again and with one solid blow to the head with his own knocked him unconscious. Roxas felt a horrible fear rising higher as Riku fell limply to the ground and the revolutionary laughed, grabbing him by the throat and dragging him over to the cliff. Though his mind was screaming at him to run and help him, Roxas was immobilized and all he could do was stare at Riku. Then, as if he were a paper's weight, the revolutionary threw him off the edge.

Without second thought Roxas ran to the cliff's edge and dove off. Through the air that whipped around him as he fell he could hear the revolutionary laughing and he wondered what kind of person they were dealing with. He couldn't be human, but he wasn't one of them either. As he broke the water's surface though he didn't think about it any more, he had to find Riku.

* * *

"_You want me to kill her?"_

"_What?!"_

"_Your wife, do you want me to kill her?"_

"_N-no! That's horrible!"_

"_What she's doing to you is horrible, come on, I'll do it free of charge."_

"…_Do you believe in second chances?"_

"_Nope."_

"_She's on her 12__th__ chance…one more, I'll give her one more."_

"_Why? She's just going to keep hurting you."_

"_Because I believe people can change."_

"_People don't change Axel, our perception on them is the only thing that can change."_

"…_I'll come back tomorrow. I'll give you an answer then."_

"_I'll be here."_

"Bastard."

"What?"

"I said you're a bastard."

"Riku, are you okay? Wake up."

For some reason he did as he was told, opening his eyes and looking around the familiar conference room of the airship. Roxas was sitting on the floor by the couch with a worried look, "You were talking in your sleep, is everything okay?"

"Fine," Riku said, moving to roll over but two sharps pain in his chest made him stop and lie back down flat. He lifted the blanket and looked down at his bandaged torso and chest, quickly remembering what happened, "When'd we get here?" he asked, not knowing what happened after he'd been stabbed.

Roxas smiled a little, "I brought you here. A doctor in that town patched you up and I had a cab bring us back here to the ship."

"I would've been fine without a doctor," Riku insisted. If there was one thing he hated it was the medical world and all of the people who made a living from it. Roxas didn't say anything and Riku was a bit annoyed by his smile, did he expect a 'thank you' or something? He didn't have a reason to.

"Well…I suppose you're right. You would've been fine," Roxas said, standing up and heading over to the table, "…If he hadn't thrown you off that cliff while you were unconscious." Riku was shocked to hear that but didn't say anything, instead just putting a hand over his sore cheek where the cut stopped just short of his eye. Roxas returned with an orange, "Hungry?" The answer was a clear no so Roxas asked a different question, "Riku what was that guy?"

"Not a human, that's for sure," it was the truth but whatever he was he wasn't normal and they both knew how dangerous he was, "From what I can guess when a spirit came to take his soul to hell it decided to avenge him."

"Spirits? You're superstitious?" Roxas tried to keep from snickering and the look Riku gave him immediately silenced him, "When you've seen as much as I have you don't have much choice in believing."

Roxas smiled though and tossed the orange back and forth from hand to hand, "Oh well, at least you're okay," was his logic, "Sure gave me a scare though."

"You were scared? Wow what a surprise," Riku said with a sigh, reaching over and taking the orange away, "Your screaming made that pretty clear at the start."

"Well, I guess worried is a better word," Roxas said, surprising him, "I thought for sure he was going to kill you back there."

"…_Do you believe in second chances?"_

"But you're okay now, so that's good," Roxas said with a smile as he got to his feet, "I'll let you rest for a while. It'll be another few hours before we get home so try and get some sleep."

"_People don't change Axel, our perception on them is the only thing that can change."_

"Thanks Roxas," and like that, another sin found himself ignoring the fact Roxas was a virtue.

* * *

Yay! No cliffhangers!...At least not in this chapter, pretty big one in the next chapter (yes I've already written it) which I'm sure I won't hear the end of. Thank you guys for reading and please, please, PLEASE review! This story is going to get pretty serious from this point out and I'd like to know if it's going over well or I should maybe lighten up a bit. I've decided I'm going to start replying to all reviews again like I did for most of my circus story so I can thank each one of you and answer any questions. Yup, that's right! This is your chance to have questions answered if you have them but no hints as to what's coming next!

As for Roxas and Riku it looks like things may have smoothed out a little. One can hope, right? Until next time I wish you all the best in all the world! Expect a new chapter on Sunday night!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	14. Sinful Interactions

It's Sunday night (actually it's not dark yet so technically I'm early) and as promised here's the new chapter! I apologize ahead of time for the length of this chapter, it may be the shortest I've written so far and is just barely a full 7 pages, I'm like two lines away from making it onto an 8th page XP but that's not important, what is important is that you read this and enjoy! I can't say when the next chapter will be up. I've got a couple pages done so far but there's a lot I have to write in the next chapter so be patient. As for now enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Sinful Interactions**

"Can you explain something to me?" Luxord asked, eyeing to two who just returned and were sitting at the bar.

"Sure," Roxas said, hoping he could maybe earn some points with another sin who didn't particularly like him.

"How is it that a newbie like you comes back without so much as a scratch and Riku comes back looking like such a mess?" Luxord's question triggered some laughter but they all wanted to know the answer, including Zexion who was busy treating the pretty severe wounds.

Riku looked annoyed to say the least and it was easy to see why. Luxord had turned their return into some sort of spectator sport in which he was the fool, "Come over here and I'll show you how I got them," he threatened in a way that sounded more like a promise.

"No thank you, I don't pick on weaklings, especially crippled ones," Luxord was only making him angrier and snickers turned into laughs as he was further mocked.

"Careful now, I don't want to have to deal with another Wrath priority," Axel added to the conversation which only fuelled the laughter. Even Roxas was laughing and for a brief moment things seemed to be the way they used to be. The virtues were nowhere to be found and he was sitting around the closed club with the people who'd changed his life.

"They're back?"

And like that Roxas was back in the present, not meaning to heave a sigh when he heard Seifer's voice. He looked over and saw him and the other virtues in the VIP area upstairs, "About time. It's been three days, what took ya?" Cid asked as he leaned over the guardrail.

"Excluding travel time we only spent a day and a half on the actual mission," Roxas told him, hoping to alleviate the annoyed stares.

"That's more than enough time, you should have worked harder," Seifer said in more of a hiss than a statement.

Roxas sighed and as he was about to get up and go join them Riku grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the barstool, "Leave him alone, he worked hard," he said, surprising them all, especially Roxas. Was he really supporting him?! Kind words directed at him and from Riku?!

Seifer quickly masked his shock, "Then why is it you're the only one with damage?"

"Maybe I'm just a little sadistic like that," Riku said with a grin. Seifer scowled and walked back down the hall, leaving the other virtues to resume their conversation upstairs and the sins downstairs.

As he was leaving though Demyx snickered and looked at Roxas with a smirk, "He wants you."

"I know," Roxas murmured, smiling though when Axel reached over from behind the bar and put his arms around him. It was quickly broken up though as Xigbar said, "I think you'd best go upstairs now." Roxas knew he was right. He was still a virtue and while conversing was fine he knew he couldn't get too comfortable, so with a short nod he got up and headed for the stairs.

"Way to kill my happiness," Axel said with an annoyed sigh, leaning back against the bar and watching Roxas leave.

"You're still under heavy observation Axel, don't push your luck if you want to stay out of solitary," Zexion reminded him as he finished treating Riku's wounds, leaving him in perfect condition, "So how did you get those anyway?" It took a lot to hurt any of them, especially someone as fast as Riku.

"One of the revolutionaries killed himself and from best I can guess was possessed by a spirit after his soul left his body," Riku summed up, not keen on going into details.

"A shinigami?" Demyx asked, clearly curious as usual.

Zexion shook his head though, "No, suicide victims don't get escorts to hell. They wander the earth or get there by luck." His knowledge on death and matters associated with it might seem to some upsetting but it was valuable information and made him a priceless source of information in this case, "If he just recently killed himself before his body was reanimated it could only have been done by a powerful spirit who was in that area.

"Could've been a poltergeist, lots of them in northern France," Luxord suggested, going behind the bar to fix up some drinks. In his opinion alcohol helped solve all sorts of problems and this one should be no different, "Besides it's easier for them to cause trouble when they've got some kind of object to embody."

Zexion shook his head again though and thought for a moment, "I don't think so. Why would a poltergeist attack Riku?"

"Did you piss anyone off before you killed them?" Axel asked. It was a rather stupid question but a few of them laughed anyway.

"Well then what do you think it was?" Riku asked, ignoring Axel's question and looking to Zexion once the laughter ceased.

He thought for a very long moment before getting up out of his seat and saying, "Well I can't be sure really. It would be helpful if we knew what happened to the body after it finished what it was trying to do, which in this case was kill you. Another interesting thing is that he didn't bother trying to attack Roxas. He's clearly the weaker of you two and it would be sensible to finish him off first."

"Sensible yes, but maybe he and Axel have the same I.Q." Luxord said as he poured a green liquor into several glasses. Axel was the only one who didn't laugh at his joke and the redhead grumbled and crossed his arms, "Yeah that's right, let's make fun of Axel today."

"Plan to keep doing so till you get those extra inches on your hair trimmed," Demyx said, reminding him of the fact he still looked like quite a bum after a year with no taming, Back to the mystery man though. What can we do now but dismiss him? If he was a spirit he's passed on by now, right?"

"That's true. There's a time limit on how long a spirit has per body and they don't last long in weak ones," Zexion still didn't sound satisfied though.

Xigbar took one of the glasses Luxord poured and downed it in one shot, "It's a good thing the guy was French then."

"Hey!" Demyx retorted, not liking the jab at his country but the laughter from the others made it clear they did. Zexion was the only one who wasn't laughing aside from Demyx and he stared into the glass that Luxord handed him silently, "…I'm going to France. I'm still not even convinced it was a spirit and the only way to find out more is to examine the body."

"What? Why?" Riku asked, not really seeing a point, "The guy's gone by now."

Zexion seemed to be thinking heavily as he responded, "This is the first time anything like this has happened; or at least the first time any of us has witnessed it. Don't you think it's strange that it happens now of all times?"

He was right. They'd all heard of supposed possessions and sometimes they dealt with madmen, but never before had it happened during one of their missions, "I'll come too. I know the country and can help out I bet," Demyx insisted.

"It's settled then. But let's be sure and keep this from the virtues," Riku said with a bit of a grin as he glanced up to the group still in their VIP area, "I'd rather not have them trying to change the way we do things." Everyone agreed and that was when he realized something, there were only six of them there, "Where's Sora?"

"He left on a priority mission in South America two days ago," Xigbar told him, surprised he waited until now to ask, "Venezuela to be exact."

"He doesn't know two words of Spanish, how's he going to get anything done?" Riku asked with a sigh, getting the feeling it would be a few days before he saw Sora again.

As Zexion and Demyx left to pack Axel seized the opportunity to taunt him, "Aw, poor baby doesn't get his toy."

"At least I can actually hold a conversation with mine," Riku replied, not bothered by Axel's poor attempt at getting him mad, "There's only one thing you use Roxas' mouth for." As Axel lunged to strike him Xigbar grabbed him under the arms and restrained him. He was clearly mad and Riku grinned at his temper, "Once again you prove you deserve your sin Axel."

"And I have you to thank for it," Axel hissed, jerking free of Xigbar's grip and storming off.

Xigbar heard the door leading downstairs slam and he didn't bother looking, instead sitting back down with a sigh, "You haven't even been back for a week and he's already wanting to kill you again. You've got to stop making him so mad if he's ever going to get that temper under control."

"I want to make him mad," Riku said, turning back to the bar and buttoning his shirt up since he was healed, "He knows he's still in danger of going back into that box and while that threat is there we need to use it to our advantage. He won't erupt like he used to ever again, at least for now, so he has to work on controlling himself during this time."

"That's a rather dirty trick," Luxord commented, musing it over in his head as he scratched his chin.

Riku laughed a bit though, wondering if Luxord was scolding him for his actions which would only make him a hypocrite, "Are you mad at me?"

"No," Luxord said with a smirk as he poured himself another glass, "I just wish I'd thought of it first."

* * *

"They drink like fish," Squall said disapprovingly, glancing over the railing at the three sins at the bar, "It's a shame it can't kill them."

"No kidding," Cid shook his head but he was a notorious one when it came to the amount of alcohol he consumed in a weeks time. He nudged Roxas, who sat beside him and had been silent since he came upstairs, "So? How was France?"

"Cold," was all Roxas said, the lack of details clearly somewhat of a disappointment for them.

Tidus tried to find out more by asking, "Did you see anything interesting?"

Roxas didn't say anything at first. Should he tell them about the revolutionary that seemed to be possessed? It wasn't information crucial to their existence and it happened so far away it didn't seem important, "A lot of death."

Cid laughed and patted him on the back, seeming satisfied with the answer, "Don't sound so glum, it happens."

"Roxas," Cloud spoke up and Roxas looked over at him since he rarely spoke with him if at all, "That was the first time you killed someone wasn't it?"

"Well no I didn't really kill anyone…at least not face to face. Riku did most of it, I just…" he thought about it and realized that other than helping to set explosives he didn't have any hand in killing anyone, "…I just sort of let him handle it." He wondered if Riku had done it all on purpose. Was it to show that he was better or to protect him from the brutal reality of death?

"Let him handle it? What kind of lame ass excuse is that?" Cid asked, sounding disappointed and annoyed, "You're going to have to man up Roxas if you're going to represent us." Roxas sighed and looked back to the ground, not liking the sound of that. He didn't want to represent them; he didn't want any hand in this virtue buisness. All he wanted was…

"Yo, Roxas."

He looked up and saw exactly what he wanted, unable to keep from smiling as Axel came upstairs, "Zexion wanted me to tell you to go to bed. The time change from here to France is a pretty significant one and since you've got priorities you need to rest."

"Okay," Roxas said, getting to his feet and heading for the hall. Axel waited for him and put his arm around his shoulders before leading him towards their room, both of them stopping when Squall asked, "Where are you going _Wrath_."

Axel just looked back and stuck his tongue out, "Straight to hell," and with that said he turned back and continued down the hall. Roxas could feel the annoyed and disapproving stares but really didn't care right now. He hadn't seen Axel for three days and really missed him, even if it wasn't as long as their last time apart.

* * *

"This is going to be fun! Just the two of us on a nice trip to my homeland!" Demyx cheered as they loaded the last bag into the airship.

Zexion was glad he was excited but had to remind him, "Remember why we're going Demyx, according to Riku the cliff is-"

"I know, I know. I was there too when he gave us directions Zexion," he sighed, pulling a false hurt act, "I wish you'd have more faith in me."

Zexion laughed a little and shook his head before getting onto the ship, "I'll have faith in you when you earn it."

Upon hearing that Demyx hurried after him, "What does that mean?"

"It means-"

"We'll do it?"

Zexion turned around and pretended to focus on the computers, "I was kidding Demyx."

"So we can do it anyway?" Demyx asked, slipping around between him and the computers. He grinned when he saw how red his pale friend was and enjoying the fact he ruffled his feathers.

If anything could shut Demyx down it was a taste of his own medicine, a trick Zexion learned decades ago, "I suppose it could be fun," he said with a sigh, wiping the grin right off of Demyx's face, "And it is a _long_ flight," he mused, leaning in and smiling sweetly, "We'd have plenty of time to do anything you want."

Abruptly Demyx ducked under Zexion's arm and scurried over to the other side of the room, "That's okay. I brought a dick of-I mean a deck! I brought a deck of cards," Demyx said quickly, clearly embarrassed and trying to cover it up.

Zexion thought his slip of the tongue was highly entertaining and laughed as Demyx sat down right there on the floor and took out his deck of cards, making sure Zexion saw them to prove he was right, "You're a very puzzling person."

"You're one to talk, I'm supposed to be the forward one," Demyx sighed, "Baiting me is no fun if you're not going to give me anything."

"Who said I wasn't going to give you anything?"

Demyx looked up from his cards abruptly dropping and scattering them accidentally. Zexion just laughed, "I'm kidding, you're so gullible lately," he said as the plane started to take off and the lights went off.

"…You know, I probably should have brought a game I can play in the dark," Demyx mused, wondering what inspired him to bring cards in the first place when he knew very well that there wouldn't be any lights.

"You could have brought Axel," Zexion said, "He can light the place up and you can play with him too." It was meant to be a joke but when he didn't hear Demyx laugh he realized something was wrong, "So what happened the other day?"

"Tuesdays are open," was all he said, explaining it all and sighing as he shuffled his cards blindly.

Zexion expected that and sat down in one of the chairs by the window as they shot ahead in the tunnel, hearing Demyx slide back across the floor and bump the wall, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay…he's happy," was Demyx's logic, though it was clear he wasn't happy.

"Well you know you're welcome to stay with me on your days off," Zexion reminded him, feeling bad for him and trying to lift his spirits. Demyx was the one who was always the most alive so when he was sad the universe just didn't feel right.

Demyx didn't say anything right away, taking a few minutes to think before laughing a little and shrugging off his despair, "Nah, don't want to risk ruining my Mondays." Even though it was too dark to see him Zexion could tell he wasn't smiling.

* * *

"So how awkward was it?"

"Almost as bad as it was waking up with you in bed that first time."

Axel and Roxas laughed and Axel pulled him closer, "Well I'm glad you made it back unharmed."

"Things went well for the most part. I never knew it got that cold over there though," Roxas said with a slight shiver as he remembered those freezing nights, "I tried to imagine you were there but it didn't work, and in my imagination you somehow kept setting our train on fire."

"Well I'm here now if that helps," Axel said, sounding hopeful.

Roxas smiled and nuzzled his face into his chest happily, "More than you know." A sudden thought occurred to him and he wiggled out of Axel's arms and ran over to the dresser. Axel watched him rummage through one of the drawers then turn around and hold up his prize, "Sit at the foot of the bed," he said, grinning as brightly as the scissors in his hands.

"Just get me back to normal length, no funny stuff," Axel sighed as he did as he was told, hoping he didn't end up with a haircut similar to Luxord's, "Just because I trust you with my life doesn't mean I trust you with my hair."

Roxas smiled a bit and when Axel had his back to him he ruffled a hand through the red mess and set to work, "Don't worry, I used to cut Sora's and mine all the time since money was tight," he told him, though their hair wasn't really something he could brag about, "You know I really wanted to be a hairstylist when I was little."

"Ah, so you were already questioning your sexuality that early in life?" Axel taunted, unable to resist the temptation.

Roxas had the advantage though and gave his hair a tug, "Keep in mind, I'm the one with the scissors here."

* * *

"_Happy Monday!"_

"_What's so special about Monday?"_

"_Well I've decided to start a sort of self run business."_

"_What kind of business?"_

"_Lie down and I'll show you!"_

"_GAH! OFF!"_

Zexion was awoken as the train whistle rang loudly. He looked groggily out the window at the approaching town, recognizing it from Riku's description as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He glanced over at the sleeping blonde whose head was on his shoulder along with a small puddle of drool. He could sleep through anything but breakfast and Zexion smiled as he nudged him awake, "Come on, this is our stop."

Demyx protested at first but eventually sat up and looked around, "…You know, I found the homeland much more pleasant to visit back when I was on the right sleep schedule," he complained while wiping off his damp cheek.

They got off the train, the ship only a few miles back but this place was too difficult to reach by air since there really wasn't any place to hide the ship. Boats were on the water, the sun was in the sky, and a salty breeze carried a pleasant sea air across the coast. They didn't waste any time taking in sights they'd seen before, going straight to the cliff but finding something unusual which definitely wasn't in Riku's description of the area, "What does it mean?" Demyx asked uneasily as he stared at the ground.

"It means what we're dealing with is probably what Larxene warned us about," Zexion said, staring at the cross scorched into the grass where a corpse of a revolutionary who'd shot himself lay in a crucifixion pose.

Demyx could only stare in silence as Zexion took out his phone and dialed Luxord's number, sure this was information he needed to relay as quickly as possible, "Demyx, get a few pictures." Demyx didn't move though and Zexion looked back to see what was wrong, "You going to be okay?" he asked, understanding how upsetting the sight must've been for him. Demyx didn't say anything, instead shutting his eyes and putting a hand on his head as if trying to support a heavy weight. Zexion shut his phone and turned his attention to him fully, "Demyx?"

"Zexy…I don't feel good," he murmured, not sounding like his usual self at all and without another word he swayed and fell over limply. Zexion immediately swooped down on him and lifted his head, checking his vitals and surprised to find his forehead burning with an unhealthy temperature. He'd been perfectly fine only moments ago and Zexion knew the weather wasn't to blame for this mysterious fever. He scooped Demyx up with some difficulty, not used to having to carry anyone, but managed to get him back to town and to an inn. "Quel est mauvais avec lui?" the innkeeper asked, clearly surprised by the sight that just came through his door.

Fortunately Zexion knew enough French to get by and he assured him, "Il est beau. Il a bu trop." Without further question the innkeeper led him to a room and left when he had money in hand. Zexion put his fallen partner down on the bed with a tired sigh, worn out from having to carry him all the way here. He checked his temperature, relieved to know it hadn't risen any further but bothered by the fact that it hadn't broken either. After writing a quick note he put him under the covers, tucked him in tight and left the inn.

_Went to find out what's going on. Feel better soon and stay in bed. –Zexy_

* * *

'_Stupid weather, it followed me,'_ Riku though with a clearly annoyed sigh as he stared out the windows across the room. The storm outside rivaled that of the one back in France and though he could usually sleep just fine despite the noise, the room was missing something that night, _'Brat goes off to Venezuela and doesn't even call before he leaves,'_ he thought before taking a drag of the cigarette between his fingers. A clash of thunder left him frazzled but once the noise settled he heard his cell phone from across the room.

'_Ofcourse it's all the way over there,'_ he sighed before getting up and going over to retrieve it from his jacket. There were only a few people who would call this late at night and they were usually people worth talking to. He recognized the number and flipped the phone open, "So how's Venezuela? You know I expect a souvenir," he said with a grin.

There was no reply but in the background Riku could hear a continuous crashing sort of noise and rain which was about as bad as the storm outside his own window, "Sora?" No response and it became clear, "What's wrong?" Sora was hurt, he could tell by his breathing, "Where are you?"

"A…A-angel-" that was the last thing he heard before a gunshot rang through the air, immediately followed by a scream and thunder. The line was dead but was Sora?

* * *

There's the cliffhanger I promised and the opening page or two of the next chapter will probably make you mad (there were a couple characters I really wanted to kill…not like write their deaths in or anything, just stab through the computer) but you'll have to wait and see why. I'm working on getting replies out to all of your reviews and have about five or so left to get to! Yay for personal achievements! I hope I answered questions thoroughly enough if you had them and once again I really entreat you to review and let me know what you thought. Questions are welcome again but I'm not going to spoil anything! Until next time I thank you for reading and wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

**SIDENOTE:** I don't know why Sora always seems to get hurt in my stories. I don't do it on purpose I swear, it just happens.


	15. Sinful Struggles

Whew…this is a long chapter. I've caught up with review replies, typed my fingers numb, and slept a grand total of 3 hours in the past 24 so I really hope you enjoy this one. New characters come into play, character relationships change, and the threat to the sins becomes a bit more apparent. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Sinful Struggles**

"They're clear across the world! You can't expect them to get back in an instants notice," Xigbar said, understanding his hastiness but having to point out the problem, "They've got the only airship we own, we'll just have to wait for them to get back."

"But by then it could be too late!" Riku couldn't believe this and out of frustration slammed his fist against the bar, jolting Luxord's drink. He picked it up before it could fall, trying to calm him down with his own calm demeanor, "I called them but they must be out of a service area because neither one of them answered." They were all on edge after hearing about the phone call but the fact of the matter was they had no way of getting to South America. Sora took their boat to get there and Zexion and Demyx had the airship in France.

"What's all of the commotion? Some of us are trying to sleep," Squall complained as he and the other virtues came out onto the landing except for Roxas, who they assumed was still with Axel in bed.

None of the sins spoke up but after a moment something occurred to Xigbar, "They must have at least one ship," he said quietly to the other two.

"We need to borrow a plane," Luxord said vaguely.

Cid laughed though at the request, "Not on your life."

"What about Sora's then?" Riku asked quickly, "He's in trouble and ours is in France."

"So? One less of you to worry about," Seifer's comment immediately struck a nerve and before the other two could stop him Riku grabbed Luxord's glass out of his hand and threw it, nailing Seifer right in the head. The virtue staggered, his face soaked and cut by glass but he quickly recovered and ran at him. The others hastily tried to break up the fight, prying the two off each other, "Knock it off! We need your help!" Luxord snarled as his temper shattered his calm façade. The virtues' irrationality had grown beyond a tolerable point, even for him.

"What's going on?" they all looked up and saw Roxas at the top of the stairs in Axel's clothes and serious bed head. Axel was on his way down the hall, half dressed and looking annoyed but it looked like he'd gotten his hair trimmed down to it's old length. The commotion and noise made Roxas worry and he wanted to make sure everything was okay, though it quickly became apparent that things weren't okay.

"Sora's in trouble," Riku told him, still restrained by Xigbar and looking like a bit of a wreck, "And these bastards won't help us!"

"What? Where is he?" Roxas asked quickly. If things were bad enough that the sins were asking for their help he knew Sora was in serious trouble.

"His phone is dead, we can't trace the call but from the sound of water in the background and what he said it's got to be Angel Falls," Luxord told him, that being the first thing they tried to figure out.

Roxas was terrified and quickly turned to his comrades with a clear sense of concern and urgency in his voice, "We should-"

"We should let them handle their own problems. There are plenty of commercial airlines they could use," Squall said, one of the many virtues who wasn't bothered by this at all.

"They'd help us if we needed it and you know that!" Roxas raised his voice, somewhat of a surprise since he was usually compliant and silent. After a long silence Axel accepted that they weren't going to help and as he tied his hair back out of the way said, "Let's go get Larxene's jet, we may be able to get there in about five hours if we leave now."

Five hours was too long and they all knew it.

* * *

"Zexy?" Demyx called, sitting up and looking around the unfamiliar room. His head and throat hurt and he shrugged off the covers, burning up from the fever which seemed to be trying to melt his entire body. The room was vacant and he sighed, wondering where his friend had gone off to when he knew he hated to be alone.

_He's left you._

Demyx gasped and stood up on the bed, looking around and ready to fight, "Whose there?" His head hurt too much though and the quick movement left him dizzy but he remained strong and stood his ground. The room was still empty though and he wondered if maybe it was the voice of someone in a separate room. It sounded so close though he could have sworn it was right beside him.

_He's left you alone just like the others._

Demyx whipped around, certain the voice was in the room but only looking into the mirror above the headboard. There was nobody else there, "Show yourself!" he shouted, his loud order making his head hurt though.

_Nobody needs you anymore._

"Come out!"

_You're just a whore who nobody needs now that they've found happiness._

"Shut up!"

"Demyx?" Zexion dropped his bags and rushed over to the blonde hunched over on the bed and clinging to his head. As soon as he got close enough though Demyx turned and threw a punch, catching him right in the cheek. Zexion staggered and looked at him in alarm and confusion. The anger and fear in Demyx's eyes faded instantly and turned to shame as he swooped down and held onto him. Zexion was confused but he put a hand on the back of Demyx's head as he felt silent sobs, "You okay?"

Demyx didn't reply and he didn't let go. He'd struck one of the few people who still needed him, "Don't leave me," he pleaded quietly.

Zexion didn't know what was wrong, but Demyx was clearly a mess and he needed comfort; not questions, "I won't," he assured him with a smile. Demyx sighed shakily as he pulled himself together; clearly still a huge mess internally and externally. Zexion helped him up carefully and insisted, "You need to stay under the covers and sweat this out." Demyx knew that better than any of them since he had a pretty weak immune system and frequently caught colds and sicknesses, and every time he was sick Zexion knew just what to do to make him feel better. This was definitely more than a cold though and they both knew it, the question was what was wrong with him?

As Demyx did as he was told Zexion went to pick up the grocery bags he dropped at the door, glancing at his sore cheek in the mirror while Demyx wasn't looking. He was definitely going to bruise but with the condition Demyx was in he didn't plan on saying anything about it, "I brought you some dinner." When Demyx didn't say anything he continued, trying to stir up some conversation and assure him things were okay and he wasn't upset after being hit, "So I did some asking around and it turns out you aren't the only one who's gotten mysteriously ill, and some of the victims I spoke to admitted to visiting the cliff recently. The others were teenagers who were stupid and didn't want to let me know they'd gone to what was once the most popular make out spot in town." The unexplained plague explained why nobody was there gawking at the sight, they were afraid they too would fall into it just like the rest of the people were.

"The sooner we get away from here the better," Demyx mumbled as he pulled the covers over his head and buried his face in the pillow.

Zexion agreed silently and pulled a box out of the grocery bag before returning to the bed, sitting by the lump and poking his head, "Come on, eat up. We should probably get you to the base in Paris so we can figure out what's wrong with you." Demyx didn't budge and Zexion only continued to find his behavior unusual, "I got your favorite."

Demyx didn't move right away but after contemplating it for a few minutes while shifting in bed he poked his head out from under the covers, "Sesame chicken?"

Zexion nodded with a smile, glad to see him returning to himself, "Chinese food in France, what a concept."

"Hey, we're leaving," Axel had come back upstairs only to find Riku sitting at the bar, running his finger around the rim of a half empty glass, "Larxene says we can use her private jet and gave us an ETA of about four hours." Riku didn't say anything and Axel sighed, clearly annoyed, "Come on, we're wasting time."

"What's the point?" Riku said, clearly surprising Axel with his careless tone, "It'll be too late by the time we get there."

Axel shut the door leading downstairs and crossed over to the bar quickly as he spoke angrily, "How can you say that he-"

Riku cut him off abruptly in a tone that dared Axel to challenge him, "I heard it all Axel…From the sound of it he won't last more than an hour even if he's lucky enough to escape whoever was shooting."

"You're just going to sit here then?!" Axel was beyond outraged and he knocked the bottle of liquor off the bar before lunging forward and grabbing his shirt, "You claim to love him and aren't going to lift a finger to help?!"

Riku stood up and shoved Axel away from him, surprising Axel so much he staggered and almost hit the cabinets behind the bar, "It's too late!" Axel knew he was right but what was said next forever changed his perspective, "Before you pretend to understand ask yourself what you would do? Would you want to go on believing in false hope only to find the mangled corpse of someone you never got to say goodbye to?!...He's dying right now, maybe he's dead already, and there isn't anything I can do!" Riku threw his glass into the cabinets above the bar with a frustrated shout as he sat back down and hung his head.

Axel stood there for a long moment, finally understanding but not sure what to say. Instead he reached across the bar and put a hand on his shoulder, "You're a real bastard you know that?"

"Fuck off Axel," Riku hissed, shoving his hand away and clearly not in the mood.

Axel turned around and grabbed a bottle and two glasses off the shelves behind him before he came around to the other side of the bar, "See, that's what I mean…You offered to kill my wife and if I'd taken that offer we might not be here right now, at least I wouldn't be," he chucked a bit but Riku didn't even crack a smile. Axel sat down beside him and poured them both a glass of the liquor as he continued, "But that's just it, death takes and gives for us. If he's dead there's a new Envy out there right now and even if he's not Sora he'll be someone we have to bring into this never ending lifestyle and before you know it Sora will just be a fading memory like Atticus."

"And if I killed Roxas?" Axel froze and quickly looked at him. Riku was looking at him out of the corner of his eye and when he had Axel's attention he repeated his question with a clearly serious note, "If I killed Roxas he'd just be a fading memory too?"

Axel didn't reply right away, knowing what he meant but clearly not sure how to respond, "…Eventually, yes." Riku didn't agree with his way of viewing this at all but Axel explained after he thought about it, "We weren't close to Atticus like that so he was easier to forget, but normal people lose their loved ones all the time and even thought their lives are much shorter they always manage to get on and resume their ways."

"You don't understand," Riku didn't want to listen anymore and he put his head down on the bar, folding his arms underneath his chin. Axel truly didn't and he hoped he would never have to, all he could do now was put a drink in front of him and watch as he stared into the red glass, "…I'm sick of life fucking us over."

Axel chuckled a bit and downed his drink, "You always seem to use that word quite a bit when you're drunk."

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Riku mumbled before picking up the drink and downing it, putting his head back down after it was gone, "And I am not drunk."

Axel didn't know how or why he was bothering to talk to him. Over the last century this was probably the first genuine conversation they'd ever had, "You aren't going to cry are you?"

"Why do you ask?"

Axel merely poured himself another glass before saying, "Because I know I'd be if I was in your shoes right now."

"Riku! Axel!" They both looked up as Roxas came running downstairs, "I got it! The key!"

"Key for what?" Axel asked, standing up to meet him halfway.

Roxas smiled a little and held up the brass key, "The key to getting to my brother in time."

* * *

Sora rushed through the dense jungle along the water's edge, on hand clutching the bullet hole in his chest and the other cutting through foliage in his way with the clawed gloves. He was out of breath and soaking wet as the rainstorm raged on, making the nearby river's current even more dangerous and noisy, which fortunately kept his own noise unnoticed. He had to stop and catch his breath, the pain in his lungs and chest driving him insane. He couldn't rest long though because as soon as he did he found himself in grave danger, the last incident being about three miles away when he stopped to call Riku for help. Things had gotten worse since then and he didn't know how much longer he could keep running, or if help was even coming.

In the dark of the forest he tripped over something and fell, sliding and wincing from the painful impact. He quickly looked back and saw a monkey hurrying up one of the trees, screeching loudly and flailing its arms in fury. Sora started to get up but the bullet wound in his chest hurt too much and he yelped before having to lie back down. His head hurt and his eyes wanted to shut but he knew he couldn't rest now, but at the same time his body couldn't move any further. He'd been running for over four hours and despite his best attempts he was unable to shake his hunter.

'_That person isn't human,'_ he didn't understand. He'd been there to eliminate a small group of nomads who were deemed a priority. Their jealousy of a fishing fleet drove them to massacre the sailor's entire village. When he arrived at their campsite earlier that day he found the nomads all sick, hallucinating and with severe fevers. Just as he was about to carry out his mission though he was attacked by a person who spoke not a word; though they should have been easy to eliminate, Sora was unable to harm his hunter at all. The thick forest made hiding easy but there was no way he'd be able to reach the ship with the river as dangerous as it was now, the weather making it impossible to cross.

Following his instincts he quickly rolled over, avoiding a gunshot that pierced the ground. He didn't understand why he was being attacked; he hadn't done anything to the person pursuing him and just wanted to go home. It wasn't going to happen though and Sora knew that, he knew it was all over. He couldn't run any further and nobody was coming to help him, a fact that made everything so much worse. Weren't they supposed to be a team? Shouldn't at least one person care enough to come after his distress call? Did he really mean that little to them? To Riku?

He could hear the footsteps approaching, light feet squishing in the soaked earth and each one made him want to just vanish into thin air. He couldn't curse his hunter, he couldn't call for help, he couldn't even cry. He was worn out and he didn't even bother looking up as the gun was reloaded and aimed down at him.

Sora heard gunfire but it wasn't from the one on him, it was coming from somewhere further ahead. The direct shots made his hunter stagger as they deflected he bullets but Sora knew it wasn't enough, "R-run away!" he didn't want to have anyone else killed.

"And leave you? Not a chance," before he knew what was going on his hunter lit ablaze and a set of arms scooped him up and ran the other way, back towards where the gunfire came from. He knew that voice and knew he was safe, clinging to Riku's shirt and refusing to let go.

To all of their alarm Axel's fire faded, leaving them facing what nearly killed Sora, "Five sins in one place. Makes my goal all the simpler," the woman said with an amused smile.

She knew what they were.

"And I thought our leader killed Pride already."

She knew what happened in France.

"I'll finish you off for him; all of you."

Even if it wasn't the same person it was clear she had the same intentions and immediately they all rushed to attack, "Roxas, take Sora and go back to the ship. We'll meet you there," Riku said, handing him to Roxas quickly. Sora didn't let go of his shirt though and Riku pulled his hand off despite his distorted protest, "Take care of him," and with that said he hurried off to help the others. Sora was in no condition to fight and Roxas hurried off in the opposite direction as he was told to do.

"Darn it, now you've gone and taken away my prey," sighed the woman, watching them come at her and Roxas disappearing in the distance with Sora, "You'll all pay for that." As she raised her gun to fire Axel lit a circle of about 10 yards diameter around what he designated as their battlefield; he didn't want to chance her going after Roxas or Sora. Her fire seemed to be aimed at Xigbar and Axel primarily and while Axel melted the bullets before they could hit him, Xigbar deflected them off the side of his own gun and kept charging at her. Riku reached her first despite the head start the others had and right as she moved to reload her gun he grabbed her wrist and twisted her around, pulling her arms over her head and behind her, tying them before she even felt the rope around her wrists. She struggled violently and Luxord walked right up to her and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look him directly in the eye. Instantly her body went rigid and all movement stopped. That was his ability. If Luxord made direct eye contact with someone within a close enough distance he could control all the muscles in their body, making them nothing more than a puppet on his strings.

"Now, how about telling us why you were hunting down one of our own before we kill you?" Xigbar said as he cocked his gun and placed it firmly against the side of her skull.

She didn't say anything and Riku reached around her and put both blades at her throat, "Don't think we're kidding. You messed with the wrong people."

"People? Failed experiments is more like it," she scoffed, gasping when the metal pressed just a fraction of a centimeter into her throat, "Go ahead and kill me, I'll be avenged."

"By who?" Axel demanded as he went to join the others in the interrogation, sick of her stubbornness, "Who are you?"

"Yunnie!"

All four of the sins looked up as the call rang from overhead, a girl of similar age leaping down from the treetops. She unsheathed two blades and brandish them right at Riku as she came down. Riku let go of their captive to parry her attack, nearly losing his footing though from her gravity aided impact. As soon as he let go of their captive though she smiled and Luxord knew something was wrong, "Xigbar shoot her!" but it was too late and despite her bound wrists she knocked Xigbar's hand away and somersaulted away from the two, firing as she pulled her bound hands back around to the front of her body. Luxord was hit in the shoulder but Xigbar managed to evade the second bullet, and since he'd been keeping count of how many shots she'd fired he knew she had to reload.

The second girl sprinted away as Riku deflected her attack, hurrying over to her friend and cutting the bindings off her wrists, "You okay?" she asked, abnormally cheerful despite the weather and situation.

"I'm fine, thank you Rikku," she replied with a smile.

"For what?" Riku asked, annoyed that she was thanking him.

She merely cast him a disinterested look, "Not you," she said with an annoyed sigh.

"That's my name too!" cheered the blonde, waving to him happily, "And this is Yuna."

"Names aside, you tried to kill one of our own. Two if you count him," Axel said, nodding to Riku as he summoned up a strand of fire in his hand, "And for that you're going to die."

"No thanks," Rikku said with a laugh as she ran at them, Yuna right on her heels.

* * *

"Arg!! Damn it that hurts!"

Roxas knew it hurt, and it hurt him to have to listen to his brother's screams. He knew he had to do what he could though and his knowledge of the human body helped the situation. When a bullet enters the body, it causes laceration and crushing wounds. The bullet punctures tissue and bone, crushing or pushing aside anything in its path. When a bullet passes through tissue, it creates a cavity that can be 30 times wider than its track. The cavity closes behind the bullet less than a second after the bullet passes, but the cave in causes damage to nearby tissue, organs and bones via shock waves. The fact Sora had been shot so close to the heart wasn't good and all he could do was wrap two icepacks in towels, put one underneath him where the bullet entered and one over the hole in his chest where it exited. Pressure for 10 minutes should be enough but he wasn't going to let up for a second until then even if it hurt. Sora was just lucky the bullet wasn't still lodged in his chest.

"I know Sora," Roxas said sadly, adverting pressure to just one hand and pulling a handkerchief out of his back pocket. He pushed it into Sora's mouth, "Here, bite that but keep breathing and please try to calm down."

It was easier said than done and Roxas couldn't imagine the pain he was in, all he could do was hope the sins came back soon and they could hurry him to a hospital. All of a sudden a crash of glass put them both on edge. Roxas glanced at his watch, it had only been six minutes, it would be dangerous to let up pressure for another four. At the same time though it would be dangerous to pretend he heard nothing, "Sora…something's wrong."

He understood and grabbed onto the towel, "Go see," Roxas hesitated but removed his hand anyway, Sora immediately reapplying it with a pained wince. Roxas would have to trust him and he grabbed his brother's gloves, pulling them on and not surprised they fit just as well as his own did, "I'll be back soon," he said, determined to protect his brother. He opened the door and looked up and down the well lit hall, relieved to see it was empty.

Roxas wished Axel was there, he wished any of them were there but since they weren't he was the only one who could defend his brother. The layout of this ship was very different from the one the sins had. It was two stories and focused more on the vertical than on the horizontal. With that in mind he quickly searched the top floor, hoping that if he could secure that area then at least he'd be able to keep whoever broke in downstairs and away from his brother. Once he was sure there was nobody upstairs he hurried back to the stairs, freezing in his tracks when he heard a set of feet slowly climbing up them.

With only a second to think Roxas pressed himself against the wall and held his breath, counting each step as the intruder came closer. He waited until the last minute before ducking around the corner, slashing at the gray haired woman. To his horror she grabbed his wrist with ease and for a brief moment they locked eyes, her emotionless crimson sending a chill up his spine. While he was frozen though she jerked him forward and threw him easily down the stairs. Roxas hit about halfway down but caught himself to keep from rolling further, pulling himself to his feet and rushing back up the stairs. His usual hesitation was gone and even when the woman turned and drew a heavy looking sword out of thin air he didn't stop. He would do whatever it took to protect his brother.

* * *

"According to the scan the only thing wrong with you is a weak aorta in your chest," Zexion mumbled, thinking out loud as he looked through the papers that printed out of the computer on the wall. Demyx, who was still lying on the table where he'd been changed over a century ago, disinterestedly chipped dried blood off the silver operating station. He looked more exhausted than before and his illness was getting the better of him. Zexion was sure he hadn't heard a word he said and he could only heave a worried sigh before closing down the charts on the wall and going over to the side of the table.

Demyx looked up from the patch of silver he was making, spotting Zexion's reflection in the metal and smiling, "So? What's wrong with me?"

Zexion couldn't resist responding to the question in a way he hoped would cheer him up, "Your ears are too big, your scrawny, you dress like a Lolita for amusement of others-"

"Leave my costumes out of this!" Demyx insisted with a laugh, rolling over onto his back and looking up at him, "Come on, I'm curable right?"

"The scan says your heart is the only thing wrong with you right now. It's significantly weaker than any in our records and that's the only thing I can come up with," Zexion said, putting it into simple terms that Zexion could understand, "And if you make a sex joke out of that I'm not going to get you breakfast." Demyx laughed but his chest hurt and he moved a hand to his heart, ceasing his laughter instantly. Zexion frowned a bit and put his hand on top of his, holding his breath and he alleviated some of the internal pain unto himself. Demyx realized what he was doing and quickly pushed him away but Zexion refused to just watch, "You shouldn't have to suffer alone."

Demyx didn't protest the second time he put his hand over his heart and he heaved a shaky sigh as he felt the pain lighten in his chest. Since they'd left for Paris last night he was only feeling worse and what had once been a minor pinch of pain he barely noticed was now more of a stab that seemed to happen randomly, "Thanks," he said as he put his hand on top of Demyx's.

Zexion just nodded with a smile, glad he could help, "I'll look into the scan more thoroughly and try and find out what the real problem is."

"What if I'm hearing things too?" Demyx's question clearly seemed ridiculous to Zexion but he continued anyway, "Zexion…I've heard a voice. He didn't say nice things either."

"It's probably the fever," Zexion tried to make sense of his delusions since he clearly didn't see any other reasoning behind it.

Demyx nodded but clearly didn't believe it. He could only hope whatever was wrong shook off soon so he could get back on his feet and back to the others, "Poor Xiggy, today's Saturday and I'm not there to keep him company! Oh well, at least I'll always have…" Demyx's voice trailed off and Zexion felt a wave of pain come over him, half of what Demyx felt. Out of alarm he pulled away and Demyx screamed, curling up and clutching his heart.

_Time is up._

Zexion tried to roll him back onto his back so he could pry his hands off his heart and help but Demyx was refusing to budge, "Demyx, let me help you!"

_You don't live up to your name._

The computer on the wall began to beep feverishly, a sign which over a century ago would warn scientists of their experiment's failing vitals. Zexion ignored them and hurried around to the other side of the table, trying to force his hand to Demyx's heart but it wasn't working, "Demyx!"

_Lust is no longer of importance to you._

"Demyx, you have to let me help you!"

_Prove me wrong if you think you can._

Demyx understood now. Why he felt weak, why he felt ill, why he felt so unlike himself. He didn't know who was behind it but he had to prove them wrong to hold onto this pathetic existence.

Zexion seized the opportunity when Demyx's hands moved, reaching for his heart but alarmed when instead Demyx grabbed his wrists and stood up. Before he could feel any relief over the fact Demyx seemed to be okay he saw the pain in his eyes and knew he still ached, "Demyx let me-" Zexion didn't get to finish as Demyx shoved him back against the wall hastily and, before he could protest, forced his wrists above his head and his mouth over his own.

Demyx ignored his protesting as the pain in his chest faded slowly and he knew he was earning his existence back. Zexion wouldn't understand why he had to do this, but he had no other choice, "I'm so sorry," was all he could say. Why him? Why did he have to hurt the one real friend he had? Zexion's yelps and protests only made him feel worse but Demyx knew it had to be done.

* * *

"Hey, mission accomplished! Paine must've gotten him!" Rikku cheered, jumping to avoid Xibgar's gunfire and taking out the ringing phone in her back pocket. The battle had been evenly matched despite the advantage in numbers the four sins had on the two girls. With a laugh she vanished into thin air, Yuna waving at the sins before disappearing as well.

Axel absorbed the fire just by raising his hand and the others looked confused at to what they meant, "That was unusual."

"Wonder what pain they were talking about," Luxord mused, their own wounds minor and nothing that wouldn't be anything other than sore in the morning, "And what mission? Do you think they're a cult of some sort?"

"No Luxord, I'm sure they're just two normal girls who were just passing by and knew what we were so they tried to kick our asses," Riku said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and pulling his hood up to try and block his already soaked head from the rain.

Luxord shrugged, "It was just a question, and one of them did kick one of our asses' ass." They should have laughed but Luxord's comment didn't arouse humor, only realization, "Pain isn't a feeling in this case, _Paine_ is a name!" They could only run so fast, feet spending less than a moment's time in contact with any ground and Riku's speed at a new and inhuman record. He reached the ship first, spotting the shattered window and not wasting any time going around to the other side of the ship where a door stood still locked by a key around Luxord's neck. Knocking away glass in his way he rushed up the stairs and down the hall, following a trail of fresh blood on the carpet into the room at the end of the hall.

It was all too picturesque. The twins in each other's arms, one crying and the other motionless, both wounded. Something was wrong though, after a moment in the doorway Riku could see they were both breathing and it didn't make sense. The other sins hurried down the hall and saw the sight for themselves, "I don't get it…Their mission was to get rid of one of our own wasn't it?" Xigbar asked quietly, all of them sure that the twins hadn't noticed them yet.

Not even Axel dared to go comfort his weeping lover. It was clear that Roxas didn't need to be disturbed any further, but they all knew Sora needed to be moved to a place where Luxord could better treat the gunshot wound. Since nobody else seemed keen on taking up that initiative Riku went in and carefully picked him up, surprised by the fact Roxas didn't move a muscle to stop him. As he left with the other two sins, Sora still in arms, Axel stayed in the doorway and watched Roxas. His duty was to go with the sins and ensure Sora survived until they could get him proper treatment, but his heart told him otherwise. At that moment he didn't have to think about what he needed to do. Without a word he went across the room and knelt down beside Roxas, scooping him up and carrying him into the bedroom attached to the room.

"…I couldn't do anything," Roxas stuttered, clinging to Axel as he climbed onto the bed and set him down, "Sora was almost killed…she…she was about to kill him." Axel didn't dare ask him what happened, they'd find out later when he was more attached with his senses. He'd received a few cuts, nothing serious and Axel got up to go get a washcloth from the bathroom, kissing each cut after cleaning them off, "It's okay. Sora's going to be just fine."

Roxas jumped a little when he felt the ship shift and he grabbed onto Axel's wrist, accidentally cutting him with the clawed fingers. Axel cringed and drew back, covering the bleeding cuts with the washcloth, "Careful there." As soon as Roxas realized what he'd done he ripped the gloves off and threw them across the room. Axel could already feel the cuts on his wrist mending, a minor injury compared to the emotional one Roxas had sustained from the fight, "Come on, lie down and sleep it off," Axel suggested as he pulled the covers back.

"But what if-"

"You're safe Roxas," Axel cut him short and kissed the top of his head, "I'm here."

Roxas smiled a little and did as he was told, clearly still a bit jumpy as he looked around the room to make sure nobody was there, "For a second there you actually sounded sincere," he teased before hiding under the blankets.

Axel laughed a bit and threw the washcloth across the room where it landed by the bathroom door, "Don't flatter yourself, you've got my trust and affection; sincerity has nothing to do with it," he told him as he sat down on the bed and watched the lump under the covers crawl closer and poke it's head out by his lap. Roxas seemed to be feeling at least a little better and as he made himself comfortable, resting his head in Axel's lap, he couldn't help but smile, "That's more than I can ask for."

Axel smirked as the blonde quickly gave into sleep, one hand idly playing with the light hair which was still damp from being in the weather outside, "…You're going to get me into serious trouble. I know it," he mumbled, his smirk turning into a smile though.

* * *

"I'm so sorry," Demyx could only weep and hide his face in his knees, clinging to the sides of his head and wishing to God he could just die right then. Zexion sat slouched against the wall, a mess and sore. His protesting stopped not too long ago but he hadn't said anything since then, keeping his eyes shut and face hidden. It was impossible to tell which of the two sins felt worse and the silence only added weight to Demyx's conscience, "I'm sorry Zexion." The pain in his chest was gone and his fever faded, he was safe but for how long? He needed to get away before he hurt Zexion any more, but as he started to get up he heard Zexion move.

Paralyzed by shame Demyx hid his face in his knees again and wished he would just disappear. A wave of confusion fell over him though when he felt his thin arms wrap around his shoulders, "…It's okay."

Demyx choked back a sob as he turned and clung to Zexion tightly, "I had to! That was-"

"I know," Zexion stopped him, putting a hand on the back of his head and comforting him as Demyx buried his face in his shoulder, "I know you had reason behind it."

Demyx looked up quickly to see if he was just saying that to comfort him but the look on his face was a serious one and he tried to explain himself, "I…I wasn't Lust anymore. I heard the voice and it said…it said I didn't live up to my name and my time was up. I had to prove…"

"Do you know why you were getting sick?" Zexion asked in a tone that made it clear he did know, "Why lust wasn't as much of you as it once was?"

Demyx thought for a long moment. Was it simple enough that even Zexion could see it? "Because I was losing people who once came to me…They came to me so I could help them forget why we were miserable. They found happiness though…Happiness with others," it made sense now. He was the bastard child of a cancan dancer in what was and still is the most well known cabaret, a music hall in Paris' red-light district. He was born four years after the cabaret opened in 1889, and he grew up spending time with women others paid to see. Each one was his mother in their own special way and by the age of thirteen he'd joined the show, dancing with professionals twice his age and keeping up just fine. By fifteen he adopted another profession in the cabaret, and it turned into a strong case of nymphomania. He was happy making others happy, either by dancing or by providing services men and women paid him for. Shortly after he turned eighteen though he was abducted by a client, a scientist, and turned into the sin he still appeared as today. "I was raised to be an entertainer…to make people happy, happy in ways society back then often called sinful. I was convinced I couldn't be happy unless I made others happy. Things have changed though…I've changed," it was plain to see, "Over the past century," why hadn't he noticed it before, "I was happy. I was happy every Monday I spent with you."

"Happiness and lust aren't the same thing," Zexion pointed out, impressed that he put it all together himself.

Demyx knew that and smiled, "But with you I never experienced lust. You shot me down on day one, remember?" Zexion smiled a little and nodded, Demyx brushing the bangs out of his face and kissing his forehead before saying, "Let's try it Zexy. Give me another chance."

"A hundred years should be more than enough time to change you I suppose," Zexion said with a sarcastic sigh, allowing Demyx to push him down to the floor, "We're going to have to keep your lust factor up anyway and it's not like Xigbar can make every day Saturday."

Demyx leaned down and held onto him snugly, "I never liked Saturdays, let's make every day Monday okay?"

Zexion laughed a little in his throat, "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Let me know what you thought please! I put so much into this chapter it's going to be a couple days before I even open up this story file again because I don't want to make myself frustrated. Who expected the trio by the way? I had a couple reviewers guessing the person after Sora was Yazoo and that meant the other members of that group were involved. Good guess and I thought about using them at first, but then it occurred to me that there has been only one significant female character in this story: Larxene. To give the opposite sex a fighting chance our 'baddies' (or so it seems) are the YRP trio from FFX2. We'll learn more about them in the next chapter and I wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	16. Sinful Separations

Well the last chapter left off on a happy note, will this one? Hahah, I figured I'd post this now because I just finished editing and am leaving to go camping in about 12 hours. It's my first time and I'm going with friends so who knows what condition I'll come back in on Sunday. Regardless of how I come back I'm sure some lovely and long reviews of this chapter will make me feel better -hinthint- Enjoy!

**SIDENOTE:** I just felt like mentioning that the chapter before this was the longest I've written for this story and the second longest out of all four stories I've written. The longest was chapter 8 of my first story, a Beyblade fic called _Carpe Diem_. It stared my first yaoi obsession (one that's lost some of it's shine over the years) and I doubt any of you have read it XD I took great pride in writing it though and the 44 reviews it earned since its upload on October 1st, 2006…Just seeing that date makes me amazed at how quickly time goes by. Sorry for this interruption, I just felt like sharing.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Sinful Separations**

"We should be heading back."

"Once more?"

"That would make the…26th time."

"27 actually."

Zexion could only laugh and shake his head. They'd made both the lab and themselves quite a mess and he knew that they needed to take the information they had and relay it to the others back in America, "My phone's been out of service thanks to your game of catch on the train ride, who knows what's been going on?"

"Nothing they can't handle," Demyx insisted as he rested his chin on Zexion's chest before putting his mouth against it and blowing a raspberry. Zexion squeaked and squirmed, making Demyx laugh and sit back up, "Okay you're probably right. Odds are if it happened to me it can happen to the others too, right?"

"The details are still tricky but that's the basic idea," Zexion said, starting to sit up but a searing pain sent him back down. A lifetime of celibacy and Demyx resulted in this and he decided the ground was a good place to stay for now. Demyx got dressed before covering him up with his coat and picking him up, "It'll be a few hours at least…but you should be fine by the time we get home!" Demyx cheered, trying to be optimistic.

That was a definite relief but as they headed for the garage Zexion fell silent, musing over what he'd just said, "…You called that place home."

Demyx thought for a moment, realizing he was right and a bit surprised, "Well I guess it kind of is…I mean we can't exactly consider our old homes as home. We always go back to the Envy base in America, regardless of our condition or what we've done. Sounds like home right?" Zexion clearly didn't agree but neither one of them was about to make a mountain out of a molehill.

* * *

"Until Zexion get's back this is the best we can do," Larxene said as her personal doctor finished treating Sora's injuries, "It always amazes me that bullet wounds are the only thing that don't heal at your usual speeds."

"Guns were reaching their peak of the century right after the experiments started and they weren't nearly as much of a threat they are today. You figure those 'geniuses' that changed us would've seen this new age coming and outfitted us for it properly," Luxord said, going over and opening his arms up, "Go on, you earned it."

Larxene's eyes lit up and she nearly toppled him over with a hug, "Do you know how long it's been since I've gotten one of these little brother?"

"Little brother?!"

The siblings looked over at Roxas who quickly covered his mouth and tried not to seem as shocked as he really was. Axel snickered but did nothing to divert the tension. "I may look younger, but that's only because I was only 18 when I was changed. Luxord was 27," she explained, "I'm 181 and he's 172."

"…But your last name is Capulet. Luxord's is Petruchio," Roxas pointed out, hoping to get a better grasp on this.

"She got married the day she disappeared," Luxord told him, "And the groom was one of the scientists behind the experiment."

"I keep the name to keep the past," she said with a smile, letting got of her brother and going over to poke Riku, who'd been pretty silent since they left Venezuela, "Do you want a hug too?"

"Luxord can have mine," he said and Larxene ran at her brother, this time tackling him. Roxas got up and left Axel's side, going over to sit by Riku instead while reassuring him, "He's going to be okay, relax."

"Oh I know," that wasn't what was bothering him and Roxas was a bit surprised to know that, "It's just those three that attacked us. They're definitely a new threat we need to learn about."

"Yuna, Rikku, and Paine," Axel mumbled, agreeing that this needed to be sorted through, "Yuna said she thought her partner had taken care of Riku back in France, which means one of them can play puppet master. The blonde one, Rikku, seemed more like a ditz than a fighter but if she can give our Riku a run for his money then there's definitely some fight in her. That girl is pretty fast too."

"What about the third one? Paine? Roxas you saw her, what can you tell us?" Riku asked, when Roxas fell silent though he looked a bit annoyed, "Come on, we all got beaten by girls so there's no shame in telling us how she got you."

"…I don't know much. She had gray hair and red eyes and she didn't say anything at all," Roxas began, clearly uneasy with the memory, "She had a huge sword too and I couldn't hold her off….She was about to kill Sora when suddenly she stopped, looked around the room, and disappeared."

"The other two did the same thing, someone must've told them to retreat," Axel suggested. They were pretty much grasping at straws now but it was better than just waiting for them to show up again, "Their goal is obvious though, they want to get rid of us."

"I have a question though, why didn't Paine just kill Roxas?" Luxord pondered; it was a valid point that quickly set in with all of them, "He's clearly an easy kill, no offense, so why didn't she just kill him and get him out of the way?"

The answer was clear and Larxene was the one who announced it, "Because he's a virtue."

The door at the top of the stairs opened and they all sighed when they saw Seifer and Cid coming down. Roxas scooted closer to Riku, who stood up as they came closer, "Need something?"

Seifer walked right past him and struck Roxas across the face before any of them realized what was going on. Roxas didn't look hurt or shocked but as Axel lunged out of his seat to strangle Seifer, Riku grabbed his arm and Cid turned and pointed his gun at him, both keeping him from interfering. "Axel watch," Riku mumbled, clearly knowing what was going on.

"Deceitful slut!" Seifer snarled, striking him hard enough this time that he fell out of the chair. Seifer grabbed his shoulders and shook him roughly, "Give it back now!" Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled out the brass key that they'd used to control the virtues' airship. Seifer ripped it out of his hand and pocketed it before throwing Roxas aside, "How dare you? You damn thieving whore!"

"That's enough Humility," Larxene was the only one who stepped in to stop him. Seifer looked at her, rage in his eyes but she stayed calm and approached him, "Leave. You have no business or right to be in this lab."

Seifer didn't say anything, nor did he move at first, eventually looking over to Axel and laughing, "Do you know what he did to get that key? Take a guess!" Axel didn't budge, but not because Riku's hold on his arm, and not because of Cid's gun on him. "Everything…and then he stole the damn key while I slept! He was all mine!" Seifer laughed more, his sanity questionable at this point. He looked over at Roxas, the virtue still sitting on the floor and looking down, "Isn't that right?"

Roxas didn't say anything at all and Seifer laughed as he headed for the stairs, Cid following him after lowering his gun. The two virtues ascended the stairs, Seifer's laughter still echoing through the shut door a flight above them. Riku let go of Axel's arm but none of them moved. A cell phone rang to break the tension after several long moments and Luxord took it out of his back pocket, answering it despite the surroundings, "Speak…No, that'll work fine…Yeah...Bye." He shut his phone and relayed the message he'd received, "That was Xigbar. He's got the data from one of our FBI connections and is on his way back."

"There was data on them?" Larxene was clearly surprised to hear they'd found anything.

Luxord nodded, "Nothing specific but the gun model Yuna used has only been sold in one place around the world and only eight models have been sold from that store. He's bringing the data on those eight back, we may be able to pull something from that," he said as he headed for the computer, Larxene following at his heels to get away from the tension. Riku sat down, not planning on leaving until he got to see Sora; besides he had a bad feeling about what would happen if Axel and Roxas were left alone together right now. Axel didn't plan on staying though; he headed for the stairs slowly and without a word. Roxas didn't move though, but he watched Axel leave and when he was gone he sighed a sorrowful breath, "Did I do the right thing?"

"Because of you we were able to save Sora," Riku said plainly, "Relationships can be repaired, a life can't." When Roxas didn't say anything and his grief became clear Riku told him, "You don't know the rest of his story do you?" Roxas shook his head but wasn't in the mood to hear until Riku said, "It may help you understand why Axel is the way he is…Remember that picture he had of us in the bar? The year was 1888 and that was the last time I saw him for months. He went back to talk to his wife, but when he got there she was with her parents and accused him of being unfaithful. It was a crime in their mind and they had him sent back to Japan after disowning him and stripping him of all inheritance. From what I heard he went through some really tough times and almost killed himself, then he found that picture and remembered my offer to kill his wife…He wanted revenge and returned to London as a stow-away. As he was coming across the countryside I was running from some of the men who organized the Pride experiment. Axel tried to help but only got in my way and we were both caught. Since they already had me they didn't need another test subject so they sent him back to Japan where he was to be used as the Wrath test subject."

Roxas didn't see how that was supposed to help him understand. "He's used to getting hurt and betrayed. His wife did it, his adoptive parents, the people he met during his return to Japan, and in a way me too…and now you Roxas," Riku explained, "Axel's behavior is blunt and crude just because he's trying to put up a wall. He's afraid he'll only get hurt again. But he has a good side, a caring side…I'm sure you've seen it. When he shows that he always gets hurt it seems."

"I didn't want to hurt him…I never wanted to, I just had to help my brother," Roxas said sadly.

Riku nodded understanding but not never once sounding sympathetic, remaining quite neutral too avoid getting involved more than he needed to, "You did. If you hadn't stolen the key we wouldn't have made it in time, and I thank you for it. The question is: what are you going to do now?"

"I want to apologize," Roxas quickly said, looking up at him. Riku just gestured to the door and Roxas knew he was right. He had to go now and he quickly got to his feet and rushed for the stairs.

* * *

"Axel!"

Axel didn't stop and Roxas hurried across the club's floor to catch up with him. The empty room was usually alive with clubbers by this hour and the sins would be socializing at the bar or in the VIP section, trying to get information on the community and people they should deal with. Tonight though the room was still and well lit, the sins closing it on the count of they had to leave for Sora's rescue. His footsteps echoed on the polished wood floor while Axel's made practically no noise at all, "Axel!" he repeated, grabbing his sleeve to stop him. To his alarm though Axel grabbed his wrist and turned around, throwing him aside easily. He could only stare at the fierce anger in his eyes, paralyzed to where he sat. This was the side of him he'd been warned about before and up till now had never seen and it scared him.

"You…" Axel growled through grit teeth, balling his fists tightly and stepping toward him. Roxas tried to scoot away but Axel grabbed his shirt and yoked him up with one hand. Roxas just hung there, still scared stiff and when he saw Axel draw his free fist back to strike he shut his eyes tightly and grabbed onto the hand holding him nearly two feet above the ground. He deserved this. Axel didn't hit him though. He wanted to so badly; he wanted to send him flying across the room and make him sorry for what he'd done! He couldn't bring himself to do it though and with a loud swear he let Roxas go with a shove.

Roxas hit the ground on his backside and slid a bit, looking up at him again, "Axel I'm sorry!"

"Get lost," the words his hard but when Axel turned to leave Roxas refused to obey and he lunged forward, grabbing onto Axel's leg and clinging to him tightly. "Let me go!" Axel snarled, turning and slinging his leg out to the side to try and shake him off but Roxas held tight.

Roxas' grip remained firm and he practically shouted now, "I said I was sorry! What do I have to do?"

"You did Seifer! That's enough!" Axel spat, grabbing Roxas' shirt collar and jerking him off of his leg.

Roxas grabbed onto his wrist though with both hands as he tried to throw him away, "It was the only way to save Sora! I'm sorry!"

"Damn right you're sorry, go back to him!" Axel jerked his hand free and shoved him away roughly.

Roxas hit the floor with a breathless sob, his chest ached and his eyes were beginning to sting, "No! Axel I'm sorry! Please!" Axel ignored his cries though and headed for the stairs. Roxas hung his head and felt his heart tightening painfully, "Axel…" he whispered through silent tears, "Axel!" he repeated, looking up at him as he got to his feet, "Axel I love you!" Axel didn't reply, he just kept climbing the stairs and turned down the hallway, not once looking back.

* * *

A week passed before the two were in the same room again, everyone gathered downstairs for a debriefing of what had been going on. He'd been staying with Sora in Riku's room after he offered to sleep downstairs. Word of the lover's argument spread quickly, everyone aware of what happened within an hour of the spat. "Right, so we've put everything together, everything since the killings in London last year," Luxord explained.

"Does this really trace all the way back to that?" Demyx asked, shocked to say the least since the murders seemed beyond irrelevant.

Luxord nodded and Larxene explained, "We compared the handwriting on that note I had on my desk from the self-proclaimed messiah to the handwriting on all the victims' spines. It only matched one though, the very first killing. It's safe to assume the other writing was done by the three lackeys who attacked us since we've grouped them into three other groups of handwriting."

"As you may remember, all of the victims sustained no physical damage but autopsies revealed their hearts were gone," Riku continued. He hadn't slept much, similar to Luxord as they were both more than a little determined to solve this, "Similar autopsies have been reported over the past month but there hasn't been any writing, probably due to the fact that their question has been answered about the virtues. And we all know what happened to Demyx recently, his heart was acting up and he heard a voice letting him know his existence was at an end. He didn't personify lust as fully as he should have been is the apparent reason."

"And if you look at the victims around the world whose hearts have been vanishing, they all possess similar extremes and our records reveal they were all at one point in time a priority," Luxord looked a little more rested since he actually was sleeping in a bed as opposed to the bar, "Most victims have been prostitutes, politicians, or serial killers. There have been the occasional surprised in the mix too, such as school teachers, ministers, and a couple of girl scouts."

"What's the point of this? How is it supposed to help us?" Squall asked, not finding any real point in this information. The virtues didn't seem to be involved at all in this case and were more or less just sitting around the club all day.

Larxene flicked him in the head with an annoyed sigh, "Don't interrupt." Clearly put in his place by their superior he silenced and sat up straight as she carried on, "The point is for some reason, after a year of dormancy, they've chosen now to resurface. And it only fully started after Axel came out of solitary."

"So?" Axel mumbled, "What've I got to do with this?"

"Now that all of the sins are present and accounted for, active more or less, they seem interested in eliminating those who embody sin. You seven included," Larxene told him, "The reason the victims' hearts are always gone is simple, the people behind the killings are using a technique similar to that which you would use on priorities. Rather than choke the heart with the sin though, they must be using the sin to eat it."

"That's ridiculous, the reason we're able to choke hearts is because we're living breathing sin! How are they able to copy us?" Xigbar asked quickly, finding this a little more than absurd.

Luxord answered flatly, "Because they're the same as us. That or they're the complete opposite."

"You mean they're either sins or virtues?" Tidus asked curiously, wondering if the reason their side seemed to be safe was because the trio were virtues.

Riku shook his head though and told them the least believable piece of information they'd heard yet, "They're either demons or angels."

Seifer laughed and clearly didn't buy it, "Are you telling me that's the best you can come up with?"

"It's the truth," Larxene said, making it clear it was true. She'd been staying with them for the past week trying to put this all together and had been keeping Riku company sleeping in the bar, "They work for this self-proclaimed messiah, that's for sure, and as for those of you who were in Venezuela you know they're not human. Their abilities were enough to match four of you combined, and there's nothing on earth which could do that; not even your rival virtues. With their behavior we assume they're angels for now, and if that's true then there's a good chance we're dealing with a real messiah."

"If that's the case we should let them do their work and not interfere," Seifer insisted quickly.

Zexion was the one who spoke up against that, "Their work is wrong though. They're killing people who may be sinners but isn't that afterlife place all about forgiveness and second chances? Their victims were killed without warning and painfully, you call it crucifixion but it's nothing more than cold blooded murder."

There was a long silence that followed his comment, truth sinking in and them all accepting what they were up against. "With that in mind we've put together a plan," Larxene said, taking charge of the silence, "Any priorities, former and current, will be documented for the day promptly at six every morning. Wherever the greatest concentration of the previous day's victims was reported will be ground zero for those who are responsible for dealing with that priority. You'll work on dealing with priorities in that area and, if lucky, run into one of the girls from before. As patterns show so far they move from continent to continent every two days and this started about two weeks ago, so today marks the first day of their time in America."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's get going," Sora said, "We can catch them and since we're all in the same continent we'd only have to hold them off for an hour or two till backup came."

"With two against one it should be doable," Luxord mused, opening the folder under his arm and reviewing the papers.

They were all confused at first and Cid asked what they were all wondering, "Two?"

"Like I said, those responsible for the priorities targeted will go and deal with the people who are guilty. For example, Seifer and Riku are both responsible for eliminating those too prideful so they'd go and have to work together," Larxene announced a bit of news that made everyone save for Luxord and Riku react abruptly, the other two already knowing it was the right decision.

Seifer was the first to speak up an audible question though there were several of them protesting the news, "What kind of stupid plan is that? You want us to work with them?"

"Did I stutter?" Larxene stood up and the noise ceases and everyone fell back into their place as she commanded authority, "If we're going to get through this we're going to have to work together."

"They're the only ones who seem to be a threat, why should we bother?" Squall asked, a unanimous agreement rising from the virtues.

Larxene shook her head and headed for the door leading downstairs, "Because it's your job to eliminate threats of sin to humanity. The fact someone else is carrying out that job, unjustly and mercilessly should be of importance to you," she was annoyed clearly and they all flinched when she slammed the door.

"…Maybe she's got a point," Tidus said quietly.

"OFCOURSE I HAVE A POINT!"

Her shout from the other side of the door made it clear she was still listening and Luxord cleared his throat, "So I suggest you break into your pairs, then I'll give you your area of the continent and afterwards you can decide your means of transportation… sensibly. Gas prices are being an issue even for us so no unnecessary side trips."

Roxas watched as the virtues and sins reluctantly moved into their rival pairs, collected their files and reviewed their location. A week ago Roxas would have jumped at the thought of getting to work with Axel alone. They hadn't been on a mission together in a year and this would mean they would have time alone without the other's chastising stares or whispers. Today though, Roxas feared nothing greater than the encounter that awaited him. Part of him hoped this would be his chance to make things right, but the other part of him knew this was nothing more than a tense bomb waiting to explode.

"Hey," Roxas looked up from the bar when he heard him, jumping a bit when he saw Axel there with the folder already in his hand, "We've got the angriest place in America and the happiest place on earth." It didn't make sense but then Roxas took a look at the folder and saw their destination: Orlando, Florida.

"Are we driving?" Roxas asked, desperate to start some kind of conversation and assurance things weren't going to be awkward. When Axel didn't answer he knew it was going to be a long two days.

* * *

"_Millions of Floridians remain in the dark as day three of the blackout dawns. Police officials are advising all civilians to stay inside during the dark hours as crime rates in Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, and other major cities soar. In Orlando alone the rate has risen 329 since 2006, a percentage which has nearly doubled over the past three days."_

Roxas listened to the news being relayed to him through his headphones plugged into the planes' audio jack. The plane was small, one of Larxene's private jets with two seats and lounging area. Florida was just over two hours from their little night club in Twilight Town, a small part of greater Manhattan. Due to the lack of power in the majority of Florida though they were getting dropped at the northern border and driving from there.

"_A similar, yet far less severe blackout occurred in Florida last February in 2008. They occurred as far north as Jacksonville on the east coast and extended to Tampa out west. The cause then was a failed switch, caused by a-"_

"You should try and sleep," Axel said as he reached across the isle and tugged off Roxas' headphones, "We're going to have a rough time."

"Aren't we already?" Roxas mumbled, pulling the headphones back on.

Axel didn't say anything, instead standing up and heading for the lounge. That was the first time they'd spoke the entire flight and Roxas already wasn't feeling well, flying still not something his head was used to.

"_Whether or not a similar problem is occurring today is difficult to tell. Officials say they're doing all th-"_

Static took over and Roxas no longer heard the news broadcast clearly. He unhooked the headphones from the audio jack and sighed heavily as he absent-mindedly wound the cord around his finger and stared out the window. High above the ground they glided; a surreal sensation which he couldn't stare at long before having to shut the window and block out the view. He hugged his knees to his chest and leaned back in the chair comfortably as he shut his tired eyes. Maybe Axel was right, maybe he did need to sleep. Barely a moment after he shut his eyes though he got a chill up his spine and sat up quickly, looking around the cabin nervously.

Axel was lying on the couch in the back comfortably, looking over when he heard him get up, "Relax, we're perfectly safe Roxas, flying won't kill you."

"I just had a bad feeling," Roxas mumbled as he went over and closed the other window.

"We'll be there soon, just sit down and rest," Axel told him, rolling over and facing the couch instead of him. Roxas knew he was probably right, it was just nerves getting the better of him, but he still didn't feel safe. There was one surefire way to make things better though and he went to the back of the cabin quietly and sat down by the arm of the couch. He wasn't sure if Axel knew he was there or not but it didn't matter. He curled up leaned in the corner formed by the couch and the wall and before he knew it was sound asleep.

* * *

"Back already?" Larxene looked up from her book as the door opened and Riku and Seifer came into the night club.

Seifer went straight upstairs while Riku told her the reason they were back, "Someone forgot his sword."

Larxene snickered and patted the barstool beside her as she shut her book, "You guys had it easy, Washington Heights is close enough you can just take the subway…Ofcourse your partner is 'too good' for that."

"I like it how he ignored Luxord's comment about gas prices," Riku said, "It doesn't help that he's never driven a car before."

"You've been demoted from sin to chauffeur," Larxene laughed and sprung over the bar. What she didn't know was that her handkerchief was hanging out of her back pocket, and the huge bloodstains were very visible. Riku grabbed the edge and pulled it out as she leapt the bar, "You're still coughing blood?"

Larxene snatched the handkerchief back and stuffed it down her shirt, "You should never take a lady's belongings," was all she said before sorting through the bottles, "What do you want to drink before you go?"

"You have access to the best medical care Larxene, use it," Riku said, not about to let her divert the topic. She didn't say anything more though, instead pouring them both a shot of something purple. Once he downed the drink he asked, "You're doing this on purpose aren't you?"

"Making you drink or avoiding doctors?" she asked with a smile. Before he could answer they heard Seifer coming downstairs and broke up the conversation. "Hurry back, you'll get to sleep in your own bed tonight," she said, patting Riku on the head and returning to her book with a grin while mumbling under her bed, "Even if your bed buddy isn't here."

* * *

"_How dare you say I don't care? Do you know how much I've given up because of you? How fucked I am?! I care more than you'll ever know!"_

"Hey, wake up."

Roxas jumped a bit as he woke, looking around with a clearly distraught look in his eyes. The first thing he saw was the same person he'd seen in his dream though and he immediately sunk under his stare and looked away. Axel stood back up and headed for the door, their two bags over his shoulder, "Come on, we're here," was all he said, not bothering to comfort Roxas after his dream. Roxas didn't expect him to though and he quickly got to his feet, a little cramped after falling asleep in his corner but not about to complain. By now the sun was practically gone but the air remained warm and welcoming despite the oncoming darkness. When he got outside he found a red sports car waiting a few yards away, probably another means of transportation courtesy of Larxene and her seemingly limitless amounts of money.

As the jet took off from the landing strip Roxas felt the strong air nearly topple him over, but he caught onto Axel's arm as he stumbled by accident. Axel didn't shrug him off or push him away and even though he'd regained balance Roxas didn't let go of his arm, enjoying the brief moment that lasted all the way to the car. Roxas finally felt Axel pull his arm free as he opened the trunk to store their bags, and to act as though nothing was wrong Roxas looked down the landing strip and watched the plane take off. Flying was an interesting experience but he'd take the ground over the air any day. When he turned around to look at the car he saw several red sealed containers of gasoline in the back seat which was divided off from the front by a glass window it seemed, "Why do we need all that?"

"No power means the gas stations won't be in service, do you _want_ to walk?" Axel asked as he shut the trunk and headed around to the driver's side door and Roxas went around to the passenger's side. Neither one of them reached to touch the radio, it remained off even after they left the landing strip and got on the main road.

"Hey," Roxas looked over when he heard the silence broken for the first time after hours of driving. Though it was dark outside bits of light from the headlights illuminated the interior of the car and Roxas could see him clearly. Axel didn't look at him, one hand drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, "…Listen, I want to-" he had to stop when they both saw someone run across the road, someone they'd both seen before.

"Rikku?" Roxas sat up straight and searched around the darkness for her. Axel was about to stop the car but she ran past them again and they both saw the brief flash of light reflected off the blades as she slit one of the front tires. The car swerved and Axel hit the brakes as Roxas screamed. The brakes locked and despite his efforts Axel couldn't control the cars swerving movements anymore and, going just over 70 mph, the car crashed into the metal barrier between the road and the ditch. The sound of crashing metal was horrid and the impact sent them both flying forward, Roxas caught by the seatbelt, Axel by the steering wheel.

Roxas slowly opened his eyes to the dark outside, barely illuminated by the one working headlight as it flickered and threatened to go out. His shoulder ached from where the seatbelt caught him and it took a few seconds to regain feeling in his fingers and his senses as well. He'd been in only one other car crash but this one was far more hazardous, a fact he quickly picked up on when he realized he could smell gasoline. Looking in the backseat through the now shattered dividing window pane he saw quite a few of the tanks were broken open and leaked all over the car, "Axel we need to…" he trailed off when he saw Axel wasn't moving, his head slouched against the steering wheel and blood running down the side of his face. Roxas couldn't move, his eyes locked on the motionless sin, "…Axel?" he quickly unbuckled and crawled over the divider between them, ignoring the bits of glass from the broken window that had once kept the front and back of the car divided. A few shards got stuck in his palm but he ignored the pain and carefully pulled Axel back so he was in his seat, "Axel!" he shouted as his head slumped forward limply.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rikku in the flickering headlight, holding one of the gasoline barrels swiped from the open windows in the back of the car. Roxas could see the trail reflecting light all the way from the car to her empty and dripping barrel. With a smile she dropped the barrel and waved, "Bye bye," she said before striking a match hidden in her other hand, the headlight finally dying as the match fell.

* * *

Wow…So it didn't end on a happy note after all…In fact there wasn't much happiness at all! I'll post a new chapter by next weekend hopefully so you won't have to hang onto that cliff for too long! Also I'm sorry I haven't replied to ANY of the last chapter's reviews! I've been working secretarial stuff at mum's office, and I **finally** got a _paying_ job! Woo! I start work on Monday at a unique toy store in the mall! I'll reply to all the reviews from last chapter and get a jump on the ones of this chapter when I get home Sunday afternoon so make sure to write one! I'm still answering questions so if you have them feel free to ask them! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

**ANOTHER SIDENOTE:** Wow…Demyx and Zexion…27 times…Rabbits, I swear they're rabbits. The number was pulled out of a set of dice I rolled. I know the number seven isn't on a die but I lost one when I rolled it and still haven't found it so I figured we'd play it fair and just say seven. Seventy two seemed a little too absurd so it was twenty seven instead…still a bit absurd but hey! They're not normal! Let them be rabbits!


	17. Sinful Healing

So you guys got left off on a pretty intense cliffhanger in the last chapter and it's about time you gave your arms a break don't you think? This chapter picks up right where the previous one left off and I'm pretty proud of it overall. **I warn you now that there's a sex scene in this chapter** and I'll give a warning note at the start and end of it for those of you who don't want to read. I just started writing and it just sort of happened! I'm not a big fan of writing scenes like this but the occasional one always seems to spring up from time to time. It's an optional portion of this chapter so no worries. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Sinful Healing**

Roxas saw the match in the dark and felt his body go numb as the headlight went out and the little bit of fire fell into the trail puddle of gasoline. Like lightning it lit and sped right at the car. He couldn't move, seemingly frozen in that instant where he accepted it was all over. Everything was over. His relationship. This hunt for angels or demon. Everything. He was jerked over the divider between the front seats though and pulled tight against Axel's body. Roxas instinctively clutched the front of his shirt and hid his face in his shoulder. He could hear the crackling fire, the sound of everything around him burning and melting at the unbearable temperature. He didn't smell the smoke though, he didn't feel the heat or burn of the killer element that had engulfed the car. Slowly he opened his eyes and nervously looked out of the corner of his eye at the fire surrounding them, lapping at the windshield, eating the seat he'd been in for hours, and covering the ceiling. He wasn't touched at all by them though.

"It's okay," he heard Axel mumble, clearly disoriented but controlling the fire, "We'll be okay."

Roxas was mortified though, refusing to move or look away from the fire within his reach. It was as if he was just watching this scene from the comfort of a movie theater where he was in no real danger, when in reality he was so close to death he could almost feel it breathing down his neck, "…How…How are we go…going to get out?" he said shakily, ready to wake up from the bad dream.

"She'll get bored eventually. We'll leave in ten minutes or so," Axel told him, letting go of him with one hand, bringing it up to his cracked skull and searing the cut shut with only a minor flinch. It hurt but it was better than waiting for it to kill him. When he finished he put his arm back around Roxas and held him tightly, "Everything's okay, don't worry."

Roxas shook his head though, still unable to look away from the fire barely a foot away from them on all sides, "No it's not…I hurt you." He felt the lips on his neck, finally feeling fire upon his skin and it held far greater potency that that which was around him, "I'm sorry," he said quietly, a bite to the sensitive skin making him shiver as cold took over briefly to overcome the heat. Axel pulled him tighter to him and Roxas apologized again as his straddle over Axel was stressed, "I'm sorry."

**--Naughteh begins here--**

Axel said nothing and Roxas didn't care, he was acknowledging he existed and that alone gave him happiness he'd missed so much. One of Axel's hands went up to the back of his head while the other ran down to the hem of his pants, ignoring Roxas' gasp as he slid his hand underneath the fabric of both his pants and boxers. Impatient fingers jabbed into him, Roxas squirming as he quickly tried to adjust to the two digits. It was difficult though and after a week of missing Axel his body forgot the feeling which now registered as pain. Axel moved his mouth from Roxas' neck to his mouth, distorted from the discomfort but his face relaxed into the familiar kiss. Before he could get used to the two fingers scissoring and swirling around inside him a third was slipped in. It hurt and he whimpered into the kiss before pulling his mouth away and trying to catch his breath, shifting as his body tried to find comfort from the intrusion. Little kisses from Axel on his cheek and throat made it easier and he apologized again, "I'm sorry."

Again Axel said nothing and again Roxas didn't care. He missed this part of their relationship, the heat, the familiar touch, the redhead he loved giving attention only to him. He could feel a bulge underneath him growing like he could feel his own pressing through his pants and against Axel's torso. He slid down him a bit, gasping out a breathless moan as the two erections rubbed against each other. Axel reacted similarly, tightening his hold on Roxas and forcing his fingers deeper as he bit the edge of an ear exposed through blonde hair.

Roxas' cry only made him grin, the virtue panting slightly and rubbing his quickly hardening cock against him. The look of desperation on his face was one Axel enjoyed more than anything and he pulled his fingers out abruptly, making him shiver and slump forward against his chest, hands clinging to his shoulders. Axel pushed the fire back further and leaned the seat back into the safe area as he flipped over, pinning Roxas to the flat seat. Roxas looked up at him, ignoring the fire on the ceiling and leaning up to kiss him. Axel's tongue delved past his lips and forced it's way around his mouth, remembering every familiar surface while one hand undid the pants at Roxas' waist. Roxas helped wiggle out of his pants but tensed up tightly and flattened himself to the seat when Axel grabbed him through the boxer's thin material. It was almost too tight of a grip but that just made it all the better and Axel's other hand pushed up his shirt before leaning down and kissing the sensitive belly.

"I-I'm sorry," Roxas said breathlessly as Axel's mouth traveled up further. He pulled off his shirt to give him easier access, dropping it over the side and not caring that it burned in the fire. Axel's hand fisted his fully erect cock roughly, the material in the way and only making Roxas impatient. He wouldn't ask for more though, he didn't deserve it, nor did he have the right to ask him for anything. The hot mouth grazed over his chest and Roxas put his hands on the back of his head, urging him on and desperate to hold onto him, "I'm sorry Axel!" Axel's mouth silenced him but only for a moment, Roxas building tighter under Axel's hand to the point it was almost unbearable. With a tug Axel pulled his boxer's down and finally gave him the contact he craved so badly. The sensation was enough to put him over the edge and he rolled his head back and arched into Axel's hand with a shiver that shook his entire body and forced a moan from his throat. He came in Axel's hand, stronger than any he'd experienced before and he looked dazedly up at Axel as he licked the cum off his hand. Roxas took his hand and pulled it down to his face, sucking the sticky substance off each finger. They were Axel's sensitive points and he bit each fingertip before muttering an apology, "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay," Axel's words brought instant tears to Roxas' eyes and Axel leaned down to kiss away the tears on his cheeks. Roxas wrapped his arms around him and held on tightly, things were okay. Axel didn't hate him, "Thank you," he sobbed, trying to stop crying, "…I bet I look pretty pathetic right now."

"Yeah, you do," Axel said with a slight laugh in his throat, "But it's damn sexy on you."

Roxas laughed but knew he was being serious, and knew it was his turn to please him. Axel was one step ahead though, already having his pants unzipped and in a similar state as Roxas was only moments ago. Roxas smeared the cum off his stomach and cock, swirling it around his fingers before reaching down further and delving into the area Axel breeched earlier. Roxas shut his eyes and sighed shakily, spreading his bent legs as he slid a second finger in. They were shorter than Axel's digits but it didn't matter, he knew Axel enjoyed this and he rolled his head to the side as he found enjoyment in it as well. His body still wasn't used to this like it once was but it was remembering and reacting and Roxas eagerly added a third finger, tensing only for a moment. He was hardening again and when his other hand reached subconsciously to tend to his burning cock Axel grabbed both his wrists and pinned them above his head.

Roxas felt empty and his body wanted more, an empty space begging to be filled, "Axel, hurry," he pleaded as Axel released his hands and held onto his hips instead, pulling him up a bit so his lower half was off the seat and a leg on either side of his waist. He looked up at him with desperate eyes, his cheeks still damp from tears and kisses, but he shut his eyes when he felt Axel press against his entrance. He tried to relax, he tried to be prepared, but when Axel slid himself inside fully and all at once pain seared through his body. Usually it wouldn't be so bad but in their current setting Roxas was nearly being taken raw. He whined and tried to grab onto something, fingers closing into a fist as they slid over the slick leather seat. He was too big and Roxas' body wasn't ready; his heart was though and he relaxed as Axel leaned down and kissed his mouth tenderly without the usual roughness. Roxas wrapped his arms around his shoulders, holding on and quivering as Axel drew out slowly. He stopped before coming out entirely though and thrust back into him, and hard.

Roxas cried against Axel's mouth, a mixture of pain and pleasure exciting him and he begged for more, "Ahh! A-Axel!" This was what he missed so much, being with the person he loved and knowing things were okay. Cries of pain turned to pleasure and pleas as the minutes passed and the thrusts got more and more vigorous. Rikku had to be gone by now, and even if she wasn't Roxas didn't care about anything other than Axel anymore. Sparks shot across his shut eyes as he felt Axel shudder inside and outside of him, a warmth filling his body as he spilled out inside of him and the sensation sent him overboard a second orgasm shook his body that night.

**--Naughteh ends here--**

They were both covered in sweat, heat not from the fire though that had engulfed the entire car but Axel kept control of the entire time. Roxas was worn out, and Axel was tired too but they had to get out and find a town to spend the night in safely, "Come on, let's get going," Axel said after resting a few minutes. When he opened his eyes he saw that Roxas was staring at him with a tired smile, "What?" Axel asked, wondering what was up.

"Nothing," Roxas said, leaning up and kissing his lips briefly.

Axel shook his head with a smile before absorbing the fire entirely and opening the door. There was no sign of Rikku and he zipped up his pants before saying, "Nothing always seems like something with you." Roxas struggled to sit up, having to support himself with his arms and try to ignore his terribly sore body. Axel knelt down when he was up though and licked his stomach and cock clean, deliberately making Roxas want more only to stop when he was done. Roxas ignored his slowly building need and struggled to get his pants on, but as soon as he had done so Axel crouched down on the pavement outside, sitting on his heels and saying, "Get on, guess it's my fault you can't walk for a while."

Roxas did as he was told and as Axel stood up he tightened his grip on his shoulders, "Oh wow, it's high up here."

"Not all of us are short like you," Axel mocked, rolling his eyes with a smirk as they headed down the road.

* * *

"Absolutely nothing," Larxene heaved a tired sigh as she looked over the reports on the computer monitor, "Nobody saw anything today."

Riku looked over her shoulder and immediately noticed something unusual, "Where are the Wrath reports?"

"That's a good question. I tried calling but Axel's phone must be off," Larxene said, laughing a bit to herself, "I'm sure he has something else turned on though.

Riku expected a comment like that from her and shook his head, "If they've patched up that tear in their relationship things are going to get ugly."

"Are you going to kill them?" Riku didn't say anything and Larxene's grin didn't fall, "You know the way things are supposed to be. Sure it's fine if they're together for now, while you lot and the virtues have to work together, but if things go back to the way they used to be…Well I suppose it'll mean you'll be looking for a new Wrath this time around."

"They both know what they're getting into," was all Riku said.

Larxene looked surprised and spun around in the chair to face him, "And you're okay with that?"

"Whatever happens after we close this case up is none of my concern, I just said things would get ugly if they carry on," Riku explained, "I owe Roxas and Axel's got an advantage over me. The others can do what they want; I'm staying out of this one."

Larxene couldn't help but laugh as she turned back around, "This coming from the sin who killed the former Envy… Got a guilty conscience?"

He just smirked a little, "What's that?"

"When his 'treachery' became clear for everyone to see, it was the voice that told you to pull the trigger," Larxene said simply before closing out the screen and turning back to him, "I doubt the others view on their relationship is nearly as understanding as yours."

"Let them do what they want. Afterwards they can be the ones who find us our new Wrath," Riku said, making it clear he didn't want any part in this.

Larxene shrugged and leaned back in her seat, looking up at him with an amused look, "You think you're going to keep regenerating forever?" Riku didn't answer and she laughed but it turned into a cough, blood caught in her closed hand and she looked at it for a moment before sighing, "I don't envy your immortality."

* * *

"Say it."

Axel grumbled under his breath before letting go of him and rolling over, "Knock it off, you sound like such a girl."

Roxas grinned and sat up a bit, laying on Axel's side as he insisted, "I just want to hear it! Come on, please!" his nagging made Axel laugh a bit and Roxas knew he was winning, "You can't resist, I'm adorable!"

"And cocky, and for that I'm definitely not going to say it," Axel reasoned, sitting up so Roxas fell off with a whine. They'd walked only a few miles before finding a city along the coast. Axel's lack of direction had them going due East and they wound up at Vero Beach, one of the few places that seemed to still be alive in the very dark state. Though there was no electricity hotels and stores stayed alive off battery powered lamps and backup generators, restaurants and theaters however were dark and uninhabited. They stopped at one of the hotel's Axel knew Larxene had connections with, a popular tourist pick and while others had to make reservations months in advance all Axel had to do was show the manager the platinum card he had and they were given immediate access to a one-bedroom vacation suite at Disney's Vero Beach resort.

Roxas sighed happily as he rolled over onto his back, enjoying the large and comfortable bed which was far superior to the one he was used to sharing with Axel, "I didn't know Larxene was affiliated with Disney."

"Disney helped us all quite a bit," Axel said while getting out of bed and heading for the bathroom, lighting a fire in his hand and a few others around the room, "Back in…I think it was 1947, back during the early years of the Cold War, we did some digging for Walt and found out that three former animators were Communists. In exchange for that information he gave us funds and resources."

Roxas was beginning to realize that the sins were everywhere in history, playing some hand in a lot of major events, "Any chance you've met Attila the Hun?"

"I'm not that old smartass."

Roxas smiled and looked up at one of the fires hovering above the nightstand, his smile disappearing instantly as the flame reminded him of what happened. When Axel came back and saw this though he quickly withdrew all of the fire. As soon as the fire was gone Roxas' stare broke and he curled up on his side, pulling the sheet tight to his body. Axel heaved a sigh, instead going to open up the balcony so they could at least get some artificial light in the pitch black room. They were high enough up that the only thing that distilled the moonlight was the edge of the rooftop. The sea was a distinct change from the smell of sex and Axel leaned against the doorframe to enjoy being caught in the middle of it all, "I guess the others were wrong about their theory. The fact you were involved in that attempted homicide shows they'll go after virtues too if they have to."

"So none of us are safe?" Roxas asked under his breath, his hand going to his shoulder which was still sore after the car crash.

Axel didn't want to say or admit it, but it was for the best, "As long as you're around us you're in danger."

Roxas didn't say anything for a long time and Axel looked back out at the ocean with a downcast stare. If Roxas knew what was good for him he'd take off and never look back, all the virtues would stay out of the way until they got this sorted out. Roxas said something though that made it clear he didn't care and he wasn't going anywhere, "You'd better protect me then."

Axel was speechless, looking back over at Roxas and clearly taken aback. He could feel a pain in his chest and knew what was happening, "Learn to protect yourself, I'm not going to save your ass," he said coldly and unintentionally. While he hadn't heard the voices Demyx had he'd felt his soul soften and heart tighten several times since the car wreck, a phenomenon that could only be explained through the unexplainable predicament challenging their existence.

Roxas looked up at him, his smile gone and eyes confused, "I will, I'll work hard too keep from being a burden."

The way he said it made Axel feel worse both physically and emotionally. He sounded so apologetic, as if he was okay with being called a nuisance if it meant being able to stay with him. Without another word he pulled his shirt on, left discarded carelessly on the floor. Roxas sat up as he headed for the door, "Where are you going?" Axel didn't answer but Roxas didn't go after him, wondering if he'd said something to offend him.

* * *

"Wake up."

"No."

"Come on it's important!"

"It's 4AM."

"Riku. Now."

With an annoyed sigh he sat up and got out of bed, following Larxene out of the room. He'd finally gotten to sleep in his own bed for the first time in over a week only to be pulled out of it barely 3 hours later. He pulled on a shirt and buttoned it up on their way downstairs, knowing it would be a while before he got to rest when Larxene grabbed a bottle off the back shelf of the bar and headed for the basement.

Three steps down the staircase he saw what had Larxene sounding so hostile. The entire lab was ruined; computer screens smashed in, test equipment knocked over, shelf after shelf of countless folders and notebooks full of information spilled out across the floor, "Someone's been here," she said, stating the obvious as she uncorked the bottle and took a swig, "And the alarm didn't go off."

"Where's Seifer?" Riku asked, already having his prime suspect in mind.

Larxene shook her head though and leaned over the guardrail, "Riku it wasn't him, he's been asleep. We drugged him over dinner, remember?"

She was right and Riku climbed the rest of the way down the stairs while she followed at his heels, "So how did they get in here then?" A thought hit him as abruptly as the bottle collided with the side of his head. He fell instantly and Larxene watched him collapse at her feet with a blank stare, "Sorry Riku…Pride, It's for the best; for all of us."

* * *

Axel's feet hastily led him outdoors and he made a beeline for the pool, diving in fully clothed and sinking to the bottom. Eight feet under he forced himself to get mad, throwing fire all around as he thrashed beneath the surface where they were immediately extinguished into smoke. His heart rate rose, frustration growing when the flames weren't visible but that was what he wanted and until his lungs screamed for air he stayed below. Gasping as he came back up, he swam to the wall and grabbed onto the side, resting his head against the wet and smooth concrete. The pain dulled only for a few moments, the lack of frustration growing with each breath and he clung to the wall with one hand and his chest with the other.

"Goddamn it," he cursed breathlessly, slamming his fist against the concrete and looking over his arm at his surroundings. It was a cool night and the air on his soaked body should've sent a chill up his spine but all it did was blow right over him.

_You can't be happy._

He heard it and his eyes shut tightly, this was what Demyx endured in France, "Get out of my head!"

_Prove you can be angry. Hit him. Hate him. Hate yourself for hurting him._

Axel could feel the constriction on his heart intensify and he snarled, almost losing his grip on the pool but remaining strong. Looking over his arm though he saw Roxas coming our of the hotel doors. He looked troubled at first but when he saw the look on Axel's face his downcast stare turned into a worried one as he ran over to the pool's edge, "Axel!"

_Time is up._

Axel's grip on the wall slipped as the pain became too much.

_You don't live up to your name._

Roxas dove for his hand, scraping himself on the concrete but grabbing onto him and pulling him back onto the concrete, "Axel no! Hang on!"

_Wrath is no longer of importance to you._

Axel looked up and grabbed onto his wrist, releasing the hold on his chest and pulling himself out of the water. As soon as he was out and on his knees he shoved Roxas away.

_Prove me wrong if you think you can._

"I hate you…I hate you so goddamn much!" Axel shouted and Roxas didn't budge or bat an eye, the words hitting hard but marked with confusion as Axel lunged for him. His arms wrapped tight around Roxas' shoulders, "But I love you Roxas!"

"Axel…" Roxas had been asking and waiting to hear those words for over a year, and never had he expected to hear them in this context. He knew what was going on though and held tightly to him getting himself soaking wet in the process, "It's okay…Hate me as much as you want to." Was this what he sounded like all those times he cursed his name and swore up and down how much he hated him so long ago? He couldn't remember how it felt to hate him but if Axel needed to hate him to survive he was okay with it.

Axel was amazed when he felt his heart loosen and his pain weaken. Had that really worked or had his body just gone numb from the pain? The shiver a cold wind sent up his spine delivered the answer, he was okay again. As he thought about it he realized he really did hate Roxas. He hated him for turning his 141 years of life around and changing the routine he'd grown so accustomed to. He'd accepted his life was no more than that of a reaper, killing those who needed to be killed. Never once did he want or expect to be changed; taught to laugh at the little things he did, feel guilt when he apologized, love him for what he was and hate him for being someone he couldn't be with. He hated him for making him fall in love.

* * *

"You okay?"

Sora ignored Squall completely as he regained consciousness, his heart racing and his head throbbing. Fire. There was a fire and a large one at that, "Riku…" As if on cue his phone across the room rang and he scrambled to his feet and unsteadily rushed to answer it, flipping it open when he saw it was Larxene's number, "Get out of the-"

"Sora the base!" she was sobbing loudly as she cut him off, "The club is…it's…"

Three states away his vision ensued, sirens wailing loudly through the dark night as fire engines sped towards the flame engulfed night club, only one person on the sidewalk across the street and she cried before telling Sora exactly what he feared, "It's covered in fire and…and Seifer and Riku haven't come out yet!" Sora couldn't move, he could only hear the fire roaring under her sobbing and feel his heart sinking.

* * *

Right, so off the cliff you go. Please review. Not saying anything about the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed. Night. Wishing you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	18. Sinful Reverence

Having fun hanging off that cliff? It's about time we found out what happened to Riku and Seifer I suppose…Enjoy!

**UPDATE:** Thanks so much to Canderjack for catching my slip! XD I promise to sleep more before I decide to proofread and accidently put a dead guy on the phone. All fixed now!

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Sinful Reverence**

"He was an unassigned and sort of self-proclaimed leader in our little anarchy."

_He was dead._

"He got on our nerves with sarcasm but I certainly didn't mind it."

_He got burned alive._

"He kept us entertained and Axel in line."

_He kept haunting them._

"He wasn't the best 'people person' but that always made watching an interrogation session fun."

_He wasn't there._

"He left and for that he'll always be a bastard to me."

_He left them with only six._

"He's gone."

_He's missed._

The only thing left of the night club was a charred black structure which once resembled home to them. The cause of the fire seemed to be electrical and by the time the firefighters got it under control it was too late and the entire interior of the building was a smoldering pile of debris. No bodies were found but nobody could have survived. They didn't hold a funeral, there was no point and death was something they all had refused to acknowledge in the past so to do so now seemed pointless. Larxene had called them all back, both the sins and the virtues, but the fire was even beyond Axel's control by the time they all arrived.

With the sins' home gone the virtues returned to their base, save for Roxas who insisted on staying with his grieving brother. The seven sat around one of the pent houses in Larxene's casino, the conversation initiated by Zexion's slight comment of homage to their lost friend and ally. Things got silent after Sora's last comment, one of the few times he'd spoken since they arrived back in the city eight hours ago.

After a lengthy silence Luxord crossed to the unlit fireplace and leaned against the mantel, "Not that the matter at hand isn't important, what we need to think about more is where to go next."

"Right, we should weigh out which base has-" Axel was cut short when Sora stood up and shouted over them, "What are you talking about?! Riku is dead! How can you just act like nothing happened!" Nobody spoke up and when Roxas reached to console his brother Sora pulled his arm away, "Did you act this way when my dad died too?!"

"Sora we have to accept and carry on," Zexion said solemnly, not looking at him or anyone for that matter as his eyes stared at the carpet below his feet.

"You're all monsters…" Sora said with clear difficulty. He looked a mess and wasn't bothering to compose himself as his eyes started to tear up, "I only knew him for three years… You all knew him for over 100! He's gone and you don't feel any pain, any grief!" Silence fell and Sora just looked from once face to another for any sign of emotion, why weren't they upset?! Disgusted by them he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"He'll have to accept it eventually," Axel said under his breath. Whether Sora knew it or not they all felt sorrow, they all missed him, the difference between them and him though was that they knew there was nothing they could do. Death was an experience they all had accepted already and knew could strike them any day, with that in mind they'd prepared themselves for it a century ago.

Luxord waited a moment for them all to tighten up their current conditions before continuing, "As I was saying, we need to decide where to go next. The second largest and well equipped base is the Sloth one in Transylvania."

"That one has plenty of resources but there's nothing for miles," Zexion pointed out, very familiar with the layout since he'd been created there, "We'd have difficulty carrying out daily priorities."

"Our plan is still the same, we're going to follow the pattern of the trio's killing and partnered with our rival virtues' we'll hunt them down," Luxord told him, "The base is well hidden so it will be a safe house we can return to each night. From now on everyone has to check in at least once every 24 hours."

"Who put you in charge?" Axel barked, "You think you can put a curfew on us?"

"It's for the safety of the group," Luxord told him, raising his voice slightly with force, "Do you want to end up like Riku?" To all of their alarm Demyx stood up and smacked Luxord across the face. His comment was uncalled for and disrespectful, below the belt in more than one way. Demyx clearly wasn't as good at accepting the fact that death was death and there was nothing they could do. His grief wasn't tucked away neatly and without another word he left through one of the adjoining doors that connected their suite with another they were using.

Axel's temper was subsiding and Luxord had stopped talking altogether. Zexion instead tried to regain some control over the situation, "That also brings up the matter of finding our new Pride…We don't have time to search with those girls at our throats at every turn." Axel and Roxas had reported the near death experience they had in Florida and all were alarmed to know they'd almost lost another member.

"Right now I think the last thing you should do is find yourselves a replacement," Roxas mumbled, silently listening to the ongoing conversation from Axel's side. He was allowed to stay and thus far had stayed out of their business, but even he couldn't believe the way the sins were treating Riku's death.

Xigbar nodded in agreement before telling him, "Go back to the virtues, let them know we're going to the Sloth base and they're to meet us there by midnight." It was just a bit after noon but none of them had slept at all and it would be a while before they could do so peacefully.

"I want to talk to Sora first," Roxas said as he stood up. Axel grabbed his hand, giving it a solid squeeze and saying all he needed to say with that. Roxas nodded, understanding his silent statement before leaving the suite as Larxene came in, "So? What's the decision?" she asked when Roxas was gone.

"We're going to keep our same strategy, we're just moving to a new base," Luxord told her, sitting down on the couch and making room for her, "Electrical fire…what bull. That equipment hasn't malfunctioned once in over a hundred years."

Larxene came and sat down next to him, "I see. Putting a hold on the search for the new pride is the best decision you can make right now…Poor Riku…If I'd been there I could've-"

"You're lucky you weren't; one loss is more than enough," Zexion said solemnly.

Larxene shook her head though, "One loss was one loss too many. The fire inspectors still haven't turned up anything at the site either."

"So there's a chance he's alive?" Axel asked quickly, seeming interested which was odd for him.

Larxene didn't speak up right away, instead looking over to him with a look of disapproval, "Axel you of all people should know how impossible it is to escape from a fire of that magnitude. Don't stir up false hopes."

"Are you going to come to the Sloth base with us?" Zexion asked, diverting the tension and painful topic.

"I've got some work I need to take care of here but I'll be out before the end of the week. I think you'll be able to manage just fine without me," she said with a small smile.

* * *

"Can I come in?"

Sora didn't answer and Roxas took that as his cue to let himself in. His brother was sitting at the foot of the bed with his legs hugged tight to his chest and his stare out the window ahead. He looked so void of not only emotion, but life itself, "Hey."

"Hey," Roxas replied as he shut the door behind himself and crossed over to the bed, sitting next to him with a sigh. What words of comfort could he offer? Ever since Sora learned he was a virtue their once lively and caring siblinghood had been on edge. Even when he was sharing a room with him while Axel was mad only a few weeks ago things seemed awkward and even though they could converse the title of 'brother' seemed to mean nothing. Now though, now when he needed support and a shoulder to cry on, things had to be okay, "Have you started packing yet?"

"What's there to pack?" Sora grumbled, killing the conversation with the grim reminder, "Everything of mine was in the base…everything I cared about…"

Roxas could hear the sorrow in his voice and knew he didn't grieve the loss of his material possessions, "Sora I…" he didn't know what to say to him other than, "I'm so sorry."

"Just leave me alone," was all Sora said and Roxas knew his attempt at bonding was futile, especially in Sora's current emotional state. Without another word he got up and headed for the door, glancing back and seeing his brother hadn't moved an inch and his stare remained locked out the window hopelessly.

* * *

"Tehe! You're so cute Demy-pu!"

Zexion glanced up from his book and saw his blond lover continuing to show off in the water for a group of girls who clearly weren't interested solely in his tricks. Demyx was enjoying the attention as usual and what annoyed Zexion was that he seemed to be _encouraging_ their flirtations. They couple had come up to the pool on the rooftop to help take their mind off the recent happenings and when Zexion first saw the scantily clad teenage girls he suggested they go find a quieter place. Demyx seemed excited though and insisted they stay for a while; so while he played in the water with and inflatable ducky inner tube and seven beautiful young girls Zexion sat in a chair on the side of the pool reading through a book on recent Transylvanian history.

He could only tolerate their superficial laughter and squeals for so long and abruptly he shut his book and stood up, heading for the stairs. Demyx quickly swam over to the opposite end of the pool and climbed out, holding his ducky up with one hand and lunging to grab Zexion's hand with his other, "Where are you going?" he asked curiously. Zexion didn't answer and when he pulled his hand away and continued walking Demyx realized he really was upset. Shedding his duck he followed after Zexion, dropping it over his head and effectively binding his arms to his body, "What's wrong?" he asked, holding onto the inflated duck tail and keeping Zexion from getting away.

"Don't play dumb," Zexion grumbled, not looking back at him or trying to get away. Demyx didn't get it though and his silence made it clear, "I'm not going to sit around waiting for you to finish up flirting."

Demyx laughed and turned him around, "Flirting? With them? Aw Zexy you should know better."

Zexion wasn't amused and made one thing very clear with two firm words, "Stop it," he didn't like it at all.

Demyx was genuinely shocked quickly apologized, taking hold of his shoulders, "I will, I promise!" He felt horrible, "I didn't know it bothered you so much…I'll stop Zexion, I promise."

"I don't want anyone else to have you," Zexion said, realizing he might've overdone it but it had to be said, "You're mine."

"I am indeed, no need to worry about that," Demyx cheered up quick, pulling him into a tight hug and causing the ducky inner tube between them to squeak loudly. Zexion squeaked too as he was soaked with cold water which still was clinging to Demyx after his swim. A sudden thought occurred to him and Demyx turned back around to the girls waiting for him on the other side of the pool, "Girls!" they looked over and were just as surprised as Zexion when he kissed him. The reaction they gave wasn't the one of disgust he expected and the couple cringed when they heard them squealing.

"Oh god…they're yaoi fans," Zexion said, taking off for the stairs with Demyx right behind him and the girls catching up.

* * *

"So how is he?" Axel asked from the balcony when he heard Roxas come in and shut the door behind him. He got up and came back inside to meet him, not expecting to see the depressed look he got, "That bad?"

"Axel he lost the person he loved," Roxas said quietly, not able to face him, "He saw him die and there was nothing he could do to help him."

Axel sighed and came closer, pulling him into a one-armed embrace, "There was nothing any of us could do."

"But you're all acting so casual!" Roxas said, shoving him away much to Axel's surprise, "Axel nobody is trying to comfort him! No sympathy! Riku is dead and he doesn't think anybody other than him cares!" Axel didn't say anything and Roxas lunged for him, clinging to him tightly as he shouted, "How would you feel if you lost me?"

"I don't plan on it," Axel said solemnly.

"Neither did Sora," Roxas tried to pull away but Axel held onto him tightly.

Axel let him struggle for a moment before he gave up in his embrace, "Roxas I don't plan on losing you…Let's leave."

Roxas froze completely when he heard that and he quickly looked up at him, "Leave?"

"Leave," Axel confirmed his words and nodded a bit, "When we're finished with the trio and it's time to go back to opposite sides let's run away together."

Roxas didn't say anything right away, the words hitting hard and causing thousands of thoughts to erupt in the back of his mind, "…Don't be stupid," he finally said before pulling out of his embrace and going to the balcony, "We can't do that and you know it. Causing false hope should be a sin."

"Roxas I'm being serious," Axel insisted, not going after him but clearly not giving up, "We could do it. We could get away and be together."

"They'd hunt us down just like they did last time," Roxas reminded him of the previous Envy and Kindness, his step-father and mother, "They'll kill us both! They'd never let us be together!"

"So you'd rather just accept being apart than take a chance at being together?" Axel asked. He'd been thinking about this during his year of solitary and though it just seemed like a fantasy then, now that he was out and with him again he knew he wanted to be with him regardless of the cost or what others thought, "Roxas we could do it! We could-"

"Stop it!" Roxas shouted and Axel immediately fell silent. He thought for sure Roxas would be happy to know he wanted to take the chance they didn't last year. He thought Roxas wanted to stay with him. "I don't want to talk about this any more," Roxas said waiting and wishing he would hear the door shut as Axel left but he was still there and he wasn't going away. He never would and Roxas knew it.

* * *

_Fire. There was fire everywhere._

Sora sat up in bed quickly, looking around the dark room and feeling the empty space next to him sadly. He was really gone. He clutched the sheets with both hands over the empty space, asking and desperate to know how could this have happened?

"You don't look well."

Sora looked up and saw Larxene in the doorway. He quickly wiped away his tears and hid his sorrow as she came in, remembering that she was an important person in their organization. Larxene shut the door behind herself and came over to sit at the foot of the bed, "I know how you feel…want to hear a story?" Sora didn't answer, all he wanted was to be left alone. "I fell in love when I was about 18, great guy, I really thought he was perfect. We got married that same year and on my wedding night I found out who he really was…He was the mastermind behind the sin and virtue creation, and I was the prototype he picked."

"I'm sorry," Sora said, not seeing how her story was supposed to help him.

Larxene shrugged, "Don't be, I killed him with my own two hands after breaking free. Men are so fun to watch die because they scream like little girls no matter how buff they think they are. It was funny though, I never once heard Riku scream that morning." Sora abruptly lunged for her throat, knowing what she'd done and blood boiling for revenge. Larxene was expecting it though and when he got close enough she pulled out a chloroform laden rag, forcing it over his mouth with one hand and putting her other hand on the back of his head to keep him from getting away. It was only seconds before Sora was out and Larxene threw the rag out the window before wiping her hands off on his shirt, "Don't worry, you'll see him soon."

* * *

"Alright, lets get going," Xigbar called, his voice echoing around the penthouse as the sins made their way down to the main floor, "The plane's going to be on the roof in five minutes."

"Relax, it's not like we've got anything left to pack," Demyx said with a sigh as he slid down the stair railing, beating Zexion as he was walking them one at a time. They didn't have anything to pack because everything had been destroyed in the fire and all the equipment they needed was already in Transylvania.

Luxord did a quick headcount and realized something with a heavy sigh, "Sora's not here."

"Neither is Roxas," Demyx pointed out, wondering where the brothers had gotten off to.

Axel, who'd been lying on the couch all morning, told them all, "He's traveling with the virtues, just like it should be." Despite how normal that should have seemed they were a bit surprised and knew they'd had a fight. Axel sat up though and headed for the stairs to get away from questions and stares, "I'll go wake Sora up." Zexion moved over to let him pass and watched him go as the others continued their routines. A bad feeling kept prodding him in the back and he knew things were about to take a turn for the worse. As soon as Axel opened the door to Sora's room he felt the same sensation looming over Zexion, "He's gone!"

The others hurried up the stairs to see for themselves and Axel examined the room, finding a note on the messy bed, "Channel 7 at 7:00 A.M." he read the simple handwritten note. The penmanship didn't match Sora's and it was clear something had happened. Luxord checked his watch and saw it was 6:54, "So we're supposed to watch at the same time our plane gets here?"

"Seems all too coincidental if you ask me," Axel grumbled, looking over the note for any sort of signature, "Someone should go call Larxene."

"I'll do it," Demyx said, hurrying out of the room to get the phone.

Zexion looked around the room and pointed out what they'd overlooked, "There's no sign of a struggle anywhere other than in bed. He was likely attacked while he slept."

"Yeah but how did anyone get in? The doors were all locked and we're too high up for anyone to break in," Xigbar brought up a valid point and they waited in silence, everyone coming up with different theories about what happened. Demyx hurried upstairs a minute before seven, "I tried the line to her cell phone and her room but she's not picking up on either," he told them before turning on the TV to the correct station. Channel 7 was news and they were currently broadcasting a headline about another recent crane collapse in New York. They waited in silence, Luxord's eyes on the second hand of his watch as he counted down, "4…3…2…1."

"_We interrupt this broadcast to bring you an urgent public announcement from Capulet Empire."_

"That's Larxene's corporation back in Manhattan," Zexion mumbled, staying focused on the news but they all wondered what she had to do with this.

"_Madame Capulet has been a figure of power and beauty for over twenty years and we gladly obliged to her request for a time slot. We take you now to the Empire, where the Madame is in her private studio. Madame?"_

"_Hello everyone,"_ it was Larxene, there was no doubt about that and the sins recognized the studio, _"I requested permission to make an announcement strictly because it is in connection with a religious cult some of my agents uncovered."_

"What the hell is she doing?!" Axel swore as the camera panned out and they saw the two people tied up and sitting on the floor at her side. To her right was Squall, to her left was Sora; both were bound and blindfolded in their unconscious states. Luxord's cell phone rang and he immediately answered it when he saw it was Cid, "We know, we're watching now," he said right off the bat, knowing exactly what the virtues were calling for, "We'll meet you there," he finished, shutting the phone and instructing them all, "You guys go to the studio, I'll arrange us a method of escape."

"What are we going to do?" Demyx asked quickly.

Luxord was already on the phone again though and answered him quickly, "We're about to get revealed on national television. What do you think we're going to do?" Run. They were going to run.

"_I assure you everything I'm about to tell you is true. I bet my wealth and name on its authenticity. To my right is a virtue, part of God's right hand, and to my left is a sin, part of God's left hand. There are six others just like them on either side, five after my recent elimination of two of their kind."_

The others were heading out the door as they heard that last part and it only fueled their urgency. She'd killed Riku and Seifer. Luxord sat down at the foot of the bed, not taking the news lightly but having to arrange their escape first, "Namine…It's grandpa. We're going to need your help."f

"_They're inhuman though they look normal and have been living amongst us for almost two centuries. They've taken countless lives of those they deem as 'sinners' and up until now have been able to cover their tracks neatly. Believe me, I have proof that what I say is true. The slides you are about to see were taken by some of my agents and you may recognize these events. Be warned, they are graphic."_

Luxord held his breath as he saw the pictures. There was the burning church on the outskirts of the city, and there they were waiting for Axel to come out. There was Riku strangling the deceased dean's wife. There were Roxas and Riku on the train in France in the middle of a practical bloodbath of the bandits. There was Seifer on the opposite end of a blade run through a man. The images just kept going and Luxord hung his head and stood up, heading for the door when he saw a picture of himself holding a man over the edge of a building. Did they really look that horrible? Their work was justified by the sins of the victim, but was that enough?

"_These two are both guilty and will be killed as a warning to these religious cults that we will no longer stand by as they kill innocent people they think deserve punishment. Here are pictures of each member of both groups. If you see either I have set up a phone line you can call 24-7 to report sightings or information. The killings won't stop until we stop them."_

* * *

So the treachery of Larxene continues. Thanks so much for the reviews you guys sent from the last chapter, they were very helpful…for me, not for Riku. Ah, bad joke, sorry. This chapter was a bit shorter than the others but I ended it there because the next two pages would've made things less cliffhanger-ish, and you know we can't have that! I'll update as soon as possible but I'm working like 30 hours a week right now so I'm a bit burnt out by the time I get home at night. Please review though and let me know what you thought of this chapter and that will certainly help motivate me to write! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter

PS: Haha…poor Zemyx getting chased by yaoi fangirls. I couldn't resist adding some comic relief to this chapter.


	19. Sinful Betrayal

Well it's been more than a while since I've updated and I've gotten through maybe 10 review replies (at least I think I replied to some) but to be honest I am burnt out and really don't feel inspired to do anything at all. Some of you who watch me over at Deviant Art might've read my journal entry about my current…I suppose 'condition' is the best word for it, but in short I've lost my drive and it's no writers block so please don't imply that's it. This chapter's been finished for a while but I haven't felt like touching it and I apologize for the wait but I just recently sat down and read it a few days ago, hated it, started over, reread it, changed the entire second half, and to be honest I'm nothing more than satisfied which annoys me. I take great pride (no pun intended) in my writing but this chapter felt more like a challenge than a vision. I'll get out of this slump soon but until then I ask you to bear with me and continue reading because I promise that I will work as hard as I can to bring you the best that I can. Please enjoy and thank you guys for reading.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**Sinful Betrayal**

"She's lost it," Axel cursed loudly as he slammed his fist on the dashboard of the car. Despite the amount of traffic laws they were already breaking they couldn't get there fast enough because it was already too late, their secret was out on national television and they'd found it on the radio as well. After two centuries of being an enigma their organization was made known to the unknowing public.

"Who knows how long she's been planning this," Xigbar was just as angry as Axel and he wasn't hesitating to run red lights, pass illegally, and break any safety law in order to cut their travel time down, "Probably working with that trio too."

"Didn't you realize what she was telling us?" Zexion spoke up loudly over their noise, silencing everyone and making his discovery clear, "When she was on the television she mentioned the right and left hands of God…She had them at her right and left side. The messiah she brought us together to find was her! This entire thing was a setup!"

"She wanted us to work together to catch her?" Demyx was confused and flustered, resulting in a whiny tone.

Zexion shook his head though, "Not to catch her. She wanted us to work together so she could catch us…the question is why is she doing it in pairs?"

"Who cares right now?! At the moment we're the most feared and horrifying creatures on earth!" Axel couldn't believe this. All of their trust and faith was broken in one brief news broadcast. They were all brought together because of her over a century ago. She'd shaken away their fear, confusion, and misery by showing them they weren't alone in their eternal life and that they each had a purpose to live. Why was she betraying them?

* * *

"If you need further evidence that what I say is true listen to a confession straight from the mouth of one of these killers," Larxene gestured offstage and a tech hand came into the picture carrying a bucket of water which he proceeded to dump over Sora's head. He quickly awoke still bound, blindfolded and gagged but thrashing to get away. Larxene grabbed his shoulder and ripped the cover off his mouth, "God fucking damn you witch! I'll kill you for what you did!"

He'd said exactly what she expected him to say and grinned in a pleased manner as he gave his own death sentence, "There you have it America. These men are dangerous and can not be allowed to continue living amongst us. Join the fight to eliminate these two cults so that we can sleep at night without fear of judgment and punishment set forth by their standards!"

Sora knew what was going on and felt his gut sink. Their identity was out. He wanted to curse her name for what she was doing and more importantly what she'd done, "You killed him! You killed-" Larxene slapped the tape back over his mouth to silence him and as she continued her public service announcement Sora shouted out muffled protests and swears, tears of anger getting absorbed by the blindfold.

A sudden crash made not only Sora, but everyone in the studio jump. It sounded like breaking glass and Larxene looked behind her barely in time to see the windows broken through and someone running at her quickly. Guards moved to intervene but the hooded intruder was too fast and knocked Larxene over before heading straight for the cameras. One. Two. Three. All were destroyed in a quick attack and he stopped when he heard the clicking of several guns all locked on him. The intruder put his hands up, letting go of the two twin blades that were tied to his wrists by thin chains. The clink the metal made as it fell strained on its ties was a familiar one and Sora ceased struggling completely when he heard it.

Before the guards could fire the door to the studio suddenly was burst in and their attention was distracted long enough for the intruder to slide right between one of their sets of legs and come out on the other side. Using one as a human shied he remained safe from the mess of bullets, fire, and knives that soared through the room. Larxene was nowhere to be seen and as soon as he was sure the clip of bullets had run out he shoved the dead guard away and instead grabbed onto Sora, holding him up and in front of him.

"Let him go," Xigbar ordered, not about to make such a close shot and risk putting a bullet through Sora's skull. The others all stood ready, looking around for any sign of Larxene but the only people left living in the room were the sins, Squall, and the intruder.

"Now why would I do that?"

The wave of shock that went through the room was phenomenal when they recognized the voice and the intruder pushed his hood off and scarf down, revealing a very dirty Riku with his hair tied back and a grin on his face, "Hi everyone." Sora abruptly jabbed his elbow into Riku's gut, knocking the wind out of him but he certainly deserved it and the others deserved an explanation. Now wasn't the time though and he undid the binds on Sora's wrists and said, "You shouldn't have come. This was a trap you know."

"What do you mean? And just how the hell are you alive?" Axel demanded; temper flaring along with a surprising sense of relief.

"There's no time now," the others spotted Seifer hurrying down the stairs, a severe burn on his neck and cheek but he was alive; which served as another major surprise. He hurried over and grabbed Squall, throwing him over his shoulder before saying, "We'll meet you there."

"Where's he going?" Demyx asked, watching Seifer hurry for the fire escape.

"It's too dangerous to travel together right now," was all Riku told him as he finished untying Sora. As soon as he was free he pulled off his blindfold and the tape over his mouth before throwing himself at Riku. He cringed though and Sora realized something was wrong, immediately letting go. "I'll explain when we get out of here, odds are she's got this place rigged to blow any minute now so we need to get out of here," Riku said. His cell phone went off in his back pocket and he fished around in the outfit that clearly wasn't his to find it, "Hey, we'll meet you on the roof."

"Who was that?" Demyx asked, very confused but glad to see him alive.

What he said made them all even more confused, "Luxord," Luxord knew he was alive? There wasn't time for questions though since he was probably right. Larxene seemed determined to put an end to them for some reason and they couldn't risk waiting around here while Riku explained what was going on. Up to the rooftop the rushed, somehow avoiding all guards and obstacles with ease.

The air was cold and relentless at this altitude and there was nothing up there save for some crates and a satellite, "Now what genius?" Axel shouted with a suffocating amount of sarcasm. A sudden explosion shook the building and panic erupted not only on the rooftop but on the streets below and in surrounding buildings. The roof beneath their feet was shaking violently as more explosives detonated by the second and there was no sign of escape. As black smoke began to fill the air and seep through the doorways leading up to the roof the sound of a roaring helicopter reached their ears. It was an unmarked chopper but when they saw Luxord standing in the doorway they knew it was their only means of getting out of the situation alive.

* * *

"You knew this entire time?!" Demyx couldn't believe Luxord had kept such an incredible piece of information to himself while the rest of them mourned the supposed death of someone who had actually survived. The noise of the chopper was too great to talk over but after less that twenty minutes of flight they got off and boarded a private jet with the name _'Lear' _on the side. The lack of sleep was catching up with some of them but though they were lying scattered around the cockpit ready to fall asleep there were several questions that needed answering.

Luxord nodded, not seeing why he was so shocked, "I got a call not too long after Larxene called to tell me the club was on fire."

"Couldn't let all of you know, the odds that Larxene would find out I was still alive would be too high," Riku reasoned, mainly directing the comment to Sora who hadn't said so much as a word to him yet, "Besides, I needed the help of someone who could keep a secret and be my inside eye."

"Why Luxord though?" Zexion asked, wondering the same thing they all were: why pick Luxord over Sora?

"Because if I'd told anyone else their reactions to my 'death' wouldn't be authentic enough and the rest of you would get suspicious. We all know Luxord is an unsentimental heartless with no soul," Riku's logic made plenty of sense in everyone's mind but Sora's, "Besides, he had access to great pain killers."

"Haha, I take it you didn't make it out of the fire unharmed then," Axel laughed smugly from his corner.

"Considering I was unconscious until I got burned I think I made it out better than most would have," Zexion took that as his cue and got up to go treat whatever burns he'd gotten and when he shed his jacket he saw the scars and damage left behind by the third degree burns on his back and left arm. What was interesting though was how the number on his shoulder blade wasn't damaged at all. The others didn't see any of that though because he kept his back facing away from them, "And before anyone asks, the clothes are from Seifer's old apartment."

"It looked like Seifer got burned pretty badly," Demyx said quietly, remembering the gruesome burns on the virtue's neck and cheek.

"He'll be fine. Took quite a bit more damage since he'd been drugged into an irreconcilable state but I performed my good deed of the day and went back to get him before hiding out in the waterways under the club," Riku owed them an explanation for it all, especially the lover who wasn't even looking at him anymore, "We couldn't go anywhere people might recognize us so we hid out in his old residence across town."

"By now the virtues must've learned he's alive and are on their way to Petrograd as well," Luxord told them, revealing their final destination to be the Gluttony base in Russia.

Xigbar laughed a bit and shook his head, "St. Petersburg at this time of year…You're all going to freeze your asses off."

"The cold will be a nice change," Riku said with a sigh, not looking forward to any sort of warm weather right now, "Larxene will undoubtedly be checking every connection of ours and every base, both virtue and sin. We should be safe for a while though since we're the only ones who can navigate the tunnels under the city."

"What I don't get is why she's doing this, it doesn't make any sense at all," Zexion said quietly under his breath.

They all looked to the two who'd been giving them answers so far and Luxord cleared his throat and leaned forward as he explained, "Her exact intentions are still difficult to determine. I did learn something interesting though which would explain why everyone has been attacked while with their opposing virtue…If both the sin and the virtue of opposing force are killed within the same 24-hour interval then they will cease to exist entirely."

"Meaning no rebirth," Riku summarized, "Axel and Roxas were caught in the car fire in Florida initiated by Rikku; Seifer and I were both in the nightclub fire after Larxene knocked us out; and Sora and Squall were arranged to be publicly executed on television as a message to the rest of us. She wants us to die for good."

"I don't believe this…Larxene was our friend," Zexion shook his head, having trouble accepting the fact that someone they truly trusted was betraying them.

"_Was _is the key word…She's the self-proclaimed messiah we were brought together to hunt down…kind of a sick plan if you ask me," Sora finally spoke up before lying down to rest and shut out the rest of them; clearly he wasn't in a good mood and nobody could blame him for his behavior.

The others followed his lead, making themselves comfortable while knowing it would be a long flight and there was no telling when the next time they'd get to sleep was. Zexion stayed up a while longer than the others as he worked to relieve all the pain and as much of the damage as possible from the fire. There would undoubtedly be scars but they were minor and much less severe than the ones he had, "You're going to apologize right?" he asked as he finished up and handed Riku the jacket back.

"Ofcourse," Riku assured him and Zexion smiled before going back over to where Demyx was falling asleep on one of the loveseats in the cockpit. Naturally he waited for everyone else to fall asleep before getting up to mend his damaged relationship. Sora wasn't asleep, made obvious when he rolled over to face him as he got closer. Riku stopped in front of him and for a long moment neither one of them said anything. Finally Sora sat up and grabbed onto him around the waist, burying his face in his stomach as Riku put a hand on the back of his head, "I'm sorry," was all he needed to say and all Sora wanted to hear.

* * *

"_Roxas I'm being serious! We could do it. We could get away and be together."_

"_They'd hunt us down just like they did last time…They'll kill us both! They'd never let us be together!"_

"_So you'd rather just accept being apart than take a chance at being together? Roxas we could do it! We could-"_

"_Stop it!"_

Roxas sat up with a sob, clutching his arms and staring at the foot of the bed as he cried silently. He didn't fight it, he knew better than to fight what he couldn't control; both tears and fate. The ship continued to sail silently across the water, miles of horizon passing his open window and leaving a salty air in the room. He didn't bother looking to his side for the redheaded sin he said he loved only days earlier. Those words were a mistake, only proving honesty did more damage than good. They couldn't be together. Nobody would allow it, especially not Roxas. He shook his head, trying to forget and get back to that sweet sanctuary of sleep but he couldn't forget the last thing he'd said to him…it was for the best. A dream like the one Axel wanted to work for would only end with pain for them both; a pain that their brief life together wouldn't be enough to justify.

His cell phone was on the table nearby and he leaned over and saw he'd missed 9 calls in the past three hours, all from the same number. He'd silenced the ringer when he couldn't bear to know Axel was trying to reach him. Why would he want to talk after the way he'd shut down his plan to elope?

Just as he was reaching to dismiss all the missed calls from the phone's history the screen lit up and a brief vibration rattled against the table. He recognized the name of the sin he thought to be dead and picked up the phone as the screen continued to flash. By now the sins had to be in St. Petersburg as they'd taken the air and the virtues chose to travel by sea for the second half as it was safer, but even with that knowledge there was no way of telling what time zone they were in right now. Though he wanted to just ignore the world he knew he had no reason to do so, "Hi."

"_How's Seifer holding up?"_

Straight to business, just what Roxas expected, "Squall treated his burns, we don't have the same luxury that Zexion offers though so he'd still a mess," he told him as he lied back in bed, "What about you? Are you okay?"

"_Better than Axel."_ When he heard that Roxas knew Axel had let his emotions take over and was acting rashly. _"Whatever you did I suggest you make it right, because if he takes it out on Sora again he'll be in even worse condition by the time you guys arrive."_

The sad thing was that Roxas knew he wasn't joking. The last time Axel lashed out at Sora, at least the last one Roxas knew of, was about a year ago and Riku gave Axel a beating and had him locked away. He knew for every strike Axel dealt to his brother Riku would return it tenfold, "What I did is for the best."

"_For who?"_ Roxas didn't understand. _"I don't think you get what's going on right now. We've been betrayed and are pretty much the most wanted people on earth, which means we'll be working together and watching each others backs until we can disprove Larxene and eliminate her."_

"What about after it's all over though!?" Roxas demanded loudly, "Are you saying I should just lead him on until we don't _need_ each other anymore?!"

"_Exactly."_ Roxas was ready to hang up until he heard him say, _"And to be careful with whatever you do after that."_ Riku knew.

He knew but he wasn't saying anything, he wasn't going to do anything, "Riku…"

"_Consider it returning the favor from France."_

Roxas didn't know what to say, "Riku-" the line went dead. Was one sin enough to stop the others? Ofcourse not, but at least he knew one sin wouldn't persecute them for just wanting to be together, "…Thank you." Minutes passed silently and he held the phone with both hands steadily, finally working up the courage to make the call. Barely into the first ring he heard the receiver pickup the call, _"Hello?"_

A smile spread across his lips as he sat back up and hugged his knees tight to his chest, "Hey…Lets do it."

"…_.Over the phone?"_

Roxas couldn't contain a small fit of laughter, feeling so much better hearing his voice; even if he was being serious and as clueless as could be, "Nah, we'll do that when I see you again…Let's take a chance together." And like that the plans were made and the fates were changed. They were going to defy the organizations they were genetically bound to all for the sake of being with each other. This was love; and more than either one of them planned on in their eternal lifespan.

* * *

"Who the hell picked this sty as our base?" Cid spat, looking around the prison-like environment with the flashlight in his hand. It was dark, gloomy, and underneath the beautiful Church of the Savior on Blood. The Gluttony base was where Xigbar had been changed back in 1861 around the time of the Emancipation Reform during Alexander II's reign. As the oldest member of the sins Xigbar had seen lots of sights in his days but, understandably, this one was the most memorable, "If you don't like it go let Larxene find you. I'm sure her accommodations for our kind are much nicer," Xigbar said with a clear note of disinterest. Roxas picked up on the fact that, unlike Axel, Xigbar didn't seem bothered by visiting his place of conformation.

"So we're underneath a church right now?" Tidus asked, not convinced after traveling through the sewer to get here.

Xigbar was well referenced on Russian history and told them what he knew, "It was once; now it's a museum for mosaic pieces of national art. After the experiment was complete the funders of the project knew they had to ensure nothing got out. So in 1883 Alexander III initiated construction of the church which served as a memorial to his father who was bombed and fatally wounded by anarchists nearby."

"Funny how the government has a way of covering things up," Luxord commented as he went to start booting up the long since offline system and hopefully get the lights on, Cid following to help with his own knowledge of technology.

Roxas watched as everyone set about to work and make the base come back to life, flashlights in all directions but rather than go find Axel he had a question for Xigbar and went over to join him at the heavily bolted door they'd come in through, "Hey…can I ask you something?"

"I was a prisoner on death row, accused of 71 murders and cannibalism," Xigbar said, already knowing his question, "The project leaders needed someone nobody would miss."

"Cannibalism?" Roxas didn't know what to say or think after hearing that.

Xigbar laughed a bit and shook his head, "I simply said I was 'accused' of it. Besides I'm a vegetarian now," he said before heading for the stairs, leaving Roxas still wondering if he had been a cannibal or not.

"Don't worry, there's only one person here who'd eat you," Roxas' face flushed and he spun around only to see Demyx grinning as he held the flashlight under his chin and lit his face up. Seeing that he'd embarrassed Roxas beyond a tolerable point Demyx laughed and skipped away gleefully. It was Roxas' turn to laugh though when the blonde tripped over an electrical cord on the floor and fell flat on his face. He quieted back down when he saw Zexion hurry over to see if he was okay and he looked away to give them privacy, instead examining the heavy door.

When he turned back to the door though he felt someone grab his flashlight and shut it off before pulling him close. Roxas smiled in the familiar embrace, resting his head against his chest, "So it's okay to do this when the others can't see?"

"Isn't that the way it's always been?" Axel smiled and Roxas laughed a bit, "Just think about it though. The lights could come on at any moment and people could see." Roxas was surprised when he found that idea exciting in more ways than one and Axel could tell, "…I didn't know you were like that."

"W-what?" Roxas tried to pull away, embarrassed by himself.

Axel pulled him back though and just as he grabbed the part of him that gave away how excited he was the lights came on full force. Vincent was walking by and since he hadn't been using a flashlight neither Roxas nor Axel knew he'd been right by them. He glanced at the scene before walking away as if nothing had happened. Roxas squirmed away from Axel quickly and scolded him, "What were you thinking?"

"Relax Roxas, it's called taking a chance," Axel was clearly referring to more than one situation and Roxas smiled a little before shaking his head and looking around the foreign base, "So this was the first one…"

"Meh, all the bases were completed at the same time. This one just found a proper subject first," Axel told him, "Leave it to the Russians to beat the rest of the world."

Roxas saw someone who he knew wasn't one of them and he quickly asked Axel, "Who is she?"

Axel looked to where he pointed and saw Namine conversing with Luxord and Cid over the equipment on the wall, "She's Luxord's handful of 'greats' granddaughter Namine."

"I thought you guys weren't supposed to have ties," Roxas didn't understand why she was here when she wasn't one of them.

Axel shrugged a bit and told him the story, "Luxord was one of the original doctors on the Greed assignment in Athens, Greece. When he learned what the results meant for the subject, mentally and physically, he tried to back out and…well let's just say his co-workers weren't keen on having their secrets out." There was clearly more to the story but Roxas wasn't going to ask anything about it since it didn't concern him. "Anyways, his fiancé was pregnant and he didn't learn about it till years later but he never bothered to make contact with his family since he was ashamed of his work and what he'd become but he's kept tabs on every generation. About 18 years ago though Namine was born to her family of meth addicts and drug dealers and Luxord ran into her when he was assigned to kill them as priorities," Axel continued, "She was too young to know who he was and since she didn't have anyone else we agreed to raise her till she was old enough to go to school."

"Aw, you were a den mother," Roxas taunted, very intrigued by the fact the sins had a soft spot.

Axel flicked him on the nose before leading him over to introduce them, "Yeah, up till we sent her to Greece to get a private education. Luxord's been keeping a constant eye on her though and we see her once or twice a year."

Roxas thought it was sweet and eagerly followed him over to the computers set up on the wall. Luxord turned around in his chair to face them as they approached, an uninterested look on his face, "If you're going to talk about someone you might want to take into consideration the echo factor of your surroundings."

"Meh, he's heard almost all of our stories," Axel said with a shrug and Roxas knew he was donning that careless attitude he had to have around the sins.

"And whose to blame for that I wonder," Luxord scoffed before turning back to the computer, "If we wanted the world to know about us we would've done what Larxene did."

"Don't be cranky, it's bad for your health _grandpa_," Axel scoffed and Luxord flipped him a crude hand gesture, not bothering to look back to them. Roxas smiled a bit and knew both Luxord and Axel were more than old enough to be fourth or even fifth generation grandparents even though none of them acted or looked their real age, "Roxas, meet Namine," Axel said casually introducing the two strangers, "Namine this is Roxas, one of the virtues."

Namine turned to face him and Roxas felt his cheeks redden, "Hello."

"Hey I've seen you before!" Roxas immediately recognized her, "You're the granddaughter of the Lear family!"

Namine smiled sweetly and though she looked harmless and frail her legacy was unmatched as she was easily the most powerful girl in America and most of Europe. The Lear's were a Cosa Nostra, a mafia family. They'd gained power just before the Great Depression and the era hadn't hindered them. Today they stood as the second most powerful mafia families in the nation, second only to the Gambino family of New York, "Not the biological granddaughter ofcourse, he adopted me after I shot his son," she said pleasantly, "He never liked the little bastard."

She was known as the favorite of the mafia Don and Roxas had to wonder, "Does he know about us?"

"He's one of our biggest supporters," Luxord told him, "After hearing about Namine's adoption we dug into her new family's history and they owe for helping them through the Depression." Luxord convinced Roxas that their organization really did know everyone and anyone with power, be they good or evil.

"Hey! So what are we going to do now?!"

Axel recognized that voice and looked over the railing just in time to see Seifer coming up the stairs, "You look terrible," he cackled a bit while putting an arm around Roxas' shoulders as if to rub in Seifer's face that Roxas was his.

Seifer still had serious burns on what skin was exposed and Roxas cringed when he saw them for the first time, since he'd been avoiding him on the trip over, "Zexion could probably help those heal faster."

Roxas' kind suggestion was met with a glare and Seifer abruptly told him, "I don't need help from him or any of his kind," he was clearly referring to the sins, "And besides, what we need to do is figure out how to kill that bitch."

"Referring to my sister I assume," Luxord laughed and turned around, chuckling a bit when he saw the burns Seifer attained, "Wow…Looks like you had less luck than Riku."

"I was unconscious!" Seifer said defensively.

Axel found his anger entertaining, "So was he. Guess you do need help from _'our kind'_ after all."

"He's right though," everyone looked back by one of the prison cells and saw Vincent standing there. How long had he been standing there, silent as the dead? "Larxene exposed our existence and there's no doubt we're on all government officials watch lists."

"And though our government connections are strong I doubt they can last through an interrogation when it's concerning 'national security,'" Cid huffed though they all knew that the so called government _interrogations_ were nothing more than torture till a man's breaking point or death, "We should all sit down and figure out what to do."

Luxord laughed a bit and they all looked to him as he said, "I'm afraid we'll be two sins shy for a while."

"What?" Seifer barked quickly, "Who?"

"One who 'died' and another who thought he was dead," Luxord told them and though there were mixed reactions he certainly seemed to be enjoying it all. When the sighs, laughs, and complaints ceased he picked up a folder on the table and opened it, "This is the plan Riku left and Namine and I agree it's the best course of action for now." Cid snatched the folder away and looked over it as Luxord explained, "Larxene set us up. Revenge is only suiting and we know she'll be checking the bases for us so while we can't stay long we can certainly wreak some political havoc in her name."

"You know, I'm kind of glad he's back," Axel said quietly to Roxas, a fact he wouldn't admit to anyone else and Roxas was surprised to hear it. Before Roxas could react though Axel asked, "It doesn't have anything to do with the museum above us does it?"

"Everything actually," Namine said with a nod, "It's more than a museum, it's a political shrine where an assassination occurred. There's countless amounts of valuables inside and we plan to eliminate them just as swiftly as the attack on Alexander II of Russia."

Cid asked the question they all wanted to know the answer to, "What the hell does destroying art have to do with shaking our trouble?"

"Don't you watch the news? When an attack of that magnitude occurs it's the only thing on the news for weeks, maybe even months," Luxord said, "If we do this then Larxene's public announcements and warnings will be cut by at the very least 75 percent in order to advocate awareness about the possible 'terrorist bombing' in the heart of Russia."

Roxas smiled inwardly as he sat on the guardrail, "I'm glad Riku's not dead," they all were. If he was then getting through this serious threat to their existence would only be more difficult. Silence fell instantly when Vincent raised a hand and looked to the door heavily bolted downstairs. There was no noise other than an invisible source of a dripping leak from above. Just as Roxas was about to ask what was wrong Vincent said something that caused an immediate chain of reaction, "People are coming."

* * *

Urg, to top it all off I'm getting a year older at the end of the month. That's right. On August 30th I'll be hitting that mark of 18 years and turning legally independent. Whew…

**Quick update**

Somewhere between the top and the bottom of this chapter I found a bit of an idea and spent the last 15 minutes writing 6 pages of the next chapter. It's not quite half but it's certainly a nice change of pace! I'm tired though and have work in the morning so I'm off to rest but please drop me a nice review. I promise to go back and reply to all the ones from the last chapter, just give me a couple of days to get back to myself. I'm going on a three day trip and am planning to use the rest time to catch up on my writing!

**ALSO**

Just in case you guys haven't been paying attention or didn't already know, all places and historical references are factual. I prefer to put a bit of history and reality into this story to help it seem more clear and believable. Granted there is no Lear mafia family but the church, the Gambino Cosa Nostra of New York, the story about Tsar Alexander the first and second, and how St. Petersburg was once called Petrograd in this chapter were all true. If a location or event is mentioned in this story it's more than likely true, though the involvement with the sins probably wasn't ofcourse.

**OK then…**

Well I think I've written more than enough writer's notes. Take care everyone and as always I thank you for reading and wish you all the best in all the world!

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	20. Sinful Fugitives

Well here goes my note. It's an important one so please read. There is only one chapter after this one. That's right, _Define Sin_ is coming to an end and I'll tell you why. Over the past 2 or 3 days I've been wracking my brain to put together the next chapter and it wasn't till yesterday that the reason I can't come up with anything hit me: there is no more to do. I am proud of everything I've put into this story and don't want to kill it by dragging it out. This isn't a 'copout' by any means and if you think it is I must have failed as a writer or you as a reader. I wrote the entire ending and epilogue yesterday and today and am happy with the way it came together; I couldn't forgive myself if I changed it.

Seven days from now I'll post the final chapter, and seven hours after that I'll post the epilogue. Yes, I chose the number seven for more than one reason but go check my DA page to find out more (linked through my profile) Also, **forgive the possible enormous amount of grammatical errors in this chapter**. I feel so dead right now, maybe because I'm getting old. BIRTHDAY TOMORROW! WAHH!

**SIDENOTE:** The lyrics Demyx uses in this chapter are from the musical _Spring Awakening_ which is an amazing show musically though I've yet to see it on stage. The song is 'Those You've Known' and you really should listen to it prior to that part of the chapter just to kind of get a feel for how it's said. The entire album of the show is a good listen in my opinion.

**NEW POLL! **Please check it out, it's on my profile and involves the ending of this story. It won't affect anything, I'm just very curious to see where you guys think I'm going with this.

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**Sinful Fugitives**

Vincent's words sent them all moving. Luxord aborted the computer program he had been working to reboot after a centuries' dormancy while Namine and Cid gathered the papers and forced them back into her briefcase which was immediately locked and sealed up tightly. Vincent and Xigbar shot out the maximum number of lights possible without completely wiping them out, leaving only two on at the entry and above where Luxord was hastily locking the computer down. A normal eye would strain to see in this light but even in the nearly completely dark room they could see clear enough to fight if they had to. Zexion, Tidus, and Demyx rushed up a ladder on the wall to a series of ducts and pipes large and small. Smaller ones served as ventilation sources, the larger either attached to the sewer lines above or water mains for the fountain in the museum above. Using the knives Demyx kept holstered around his ankles they quickly began to unscrew the vent in hopes of making an escape route. Axel conjured up a fire and began soldering the metal of the door to that of its archway just as a heavy bang was heard against the other side. The others gathered at the lower level to fend off intruders in case they got through before their escape route was secure.

"Come on bastard," Luxord said under his breath, quickly entering the series of codes the computer asked for. It was a very secure system which could fall apart completely if an invalid user tried to access it and the numbers were different for each base. Usually it was a genius security system but at a time like this where every second counted the processing time passed too slowly, "How the hell did they know which base to come to first?!"

Axel had nearly finished when he picked up on something. He could feel a second fire on the other side of the door and knew what it was likely leading to, "Everybody down!" No sooner had he said it did the large and heavy metal door, despite its nearly complete soldering on their end, fly into the room in four pieces. One nearly took off Axel's shoulder as he dove for cover and another went right through Squall's side, leaving a huge tear that consumed the entire right half of his stomach. Axel, Cloud, and Seifer rushed the armored guards that flooded into the room while Roxas hurried to Squall as he collapsed on the ground. He was in an immense amount of pain, that was clear, and a wound as sever as this was more than enough to kill them. He looked up and saw dozens of guards; and though the trio fighting them off was strong they weren't strong enough and several slipped by and headed for the stairs and him.

"Get running," Squall spat but Roxas didn't have time, the gunfire loud enough to scare him and he ducked down to avoid it. This was bad. The air became heavy and he looked up to see the fire whipping guards away and Axel working to protect him, "Roxas move!" With close to 50 guards in the room, 25 already dead, he couldn't relax and as soon as he turned to help Roxas he was nearly shot from behind.

Roxas should have heeded his advice and run for the stairs but he couldn't leave Squall behind, instead getting up and meeting the group coming at them. They were all at risk here and now wasn't a time to run and play coward. He'd fight and do whatever was in his power to prolong their existence.

Zexion saw what had happened and stopped working on their escape route, instead hurrying back to the ladder and sliding down. "Zexy!" Demyx didn't know what he was thinking and he watched as Zexion hurried over to the guardrail and jumped over the side. He went straight to Squall and sat him up, ignoring the hiss of pain and putting a hand over the tear in his side. Squall would've cursed his name but it hurt too much as he felt the abrasion stitch shut hastily with an invisible needle. Zexion shoved him away after the quick mend which he rarely used and had only done so twice before, both occasions to save his own life. With blood on his hands he stood up and slashed one through the air at a series of soldiers who'd closed in on him in those seconds. Cuts immediately appeared on wherever his hands gestured. Just as he could alleviate pain from other he could also store it up inside him and inflict it tenfold, and as the bodies fell he couldn't help but think how just it was that pain they'd caused to Squall was now what was killing them.

The computer finally went black and Luxord was free to join in the fight, just in time as the guards hurried up the stairs. Xigbar and Vincent were able to hold them off with gunfire but every time they paused to reload the guards grew closer and closer. "Head for the air ducts, the path should be clear soon," he told Namine, clapping her on the shoulders before reaching into his pockets and drawing his hands back out with the brass knuckles on. Cid laughed, "You're a fool to fight close range," he said before kicking one of the guardrails loose and using the 6 foot hollow pipe as a makeshift weapon. "At least it doesn't look like I'm compensating for something," Luxord said and Cid laughed as they ran in to join the fight.

"There!" Tidus cheered as the last screw came out and the vent fell out, securing their escape route. He gave a loud whistle to alert the others before disappearing into the tunnel to go ahead and clear out the accumulated cobwebs. Demyx hurried over to the ladder and helped Namine up, "No time to celebrate, get going," he said, leading her to the air duct, "Don't worry, we'll see you soon."

"Be careful," she told him before slinking into the duct and following after Tidus. A command was shouted in Russian, a tongue only Zexion, Xigbar, and Cid were familiar with but as the soldiers gathered in a line they all picked up on it's meaning, "Move!" Seifer, Squall, Axel, Zexion, Cloud, and Roxas all hurried to hide behind pillars as uniform gunfire rained through the room. Safe behind the same pillar Axel tried to catch his breath, "Head for the duct, we can hold the last of them off."

Only forty or so remained and it looked like there weren't anymore in the hall. Numbers aside, the damage to the sins and virtues seemed to be growing at a much quicker rate than that which guards fell. Seifer had a head wound, made clear by the blood which covered the half of his burnt face. Cloud was clutching his left arm and doubled over, trying to rest quickly in their few moments of shelter from gunfire. Squall was having trouble moving even though the wound was healed, his insides still damaged and as he'd fled for shelter he'd taken a shot to the ankle it seemed. Zexion had one hand over his other, a bullet to the palm earlier while fighting served as not only a source of pain but also a source of ammunition in his case. And Axel…he'd definitely looked better. Roxas could see a burn on his throat and cheek where he'd had to probably seal up a wound and keep fighting. "I'm not leaving you!" Roxas insisted but Axel grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced his mouth over his in a rough and hasty kiss.

"Then you'd better get going," he said, quite sure Roxas would end up dead if he hung around much longer. Roxas didn't have time to protest and Axel didn't have time to rest. He came out of hiding and used a wave of fire to ignite the first line of guards firing at them. With limited ventilation the room was growing thick with smoke and it made both seeing and breathing difficult. Deciding he could be of use to the other group fending off the guards on the stairs, Roxas hurried to the base and rushed up, ambushing the guards from the rear while Luxord and Cid fended off the ones above and Xigbar and Vincent fired at the lower level where the others had come out of hiding and were fighting once again.

Axel spotted two familiar faces come through the doorway and quickly take out the commanding officer who'd been watching the battle, "I hate leaders who don't help their men," Riku said disapprovingly.

"Hypocrite," Axel declared, rolling his eyes but remaining focused on fighting the intruders rather than Riku. Finally the stairs and upper level were cleared and the others were doing a good job of keeping the guards downstairs, "Alright, let's get out of here. They can finish things up," Cid said with a tired sigh, hurrying for the ladder with Luxord right behind him.

"Come on," Roxas said, grabbing Xigbar's arm and tugging a bit, "There are only a dozen or so left, no challenge."

Xigbar shrugged him off, "I'm staying till the end, you go on."

"But-"

"Roxas," he silenced and looked to Vincent who was focused on him surprisingly, "This is a matter of pride, it's his 'home' and it's only right to want to get rid of every last pest."

Roxas understood and followed Vincent quickly up the ladder. He looked back before going in though, seeing Cloud, Squall, and Sora making their way upstairs to follow their route of escape. Axel, Seifer, Riku, and Zexion remained though to finish off the last of the scum on the lower level. This wasn't a challenge for them now and he was sure they'd be okay, "See you outside," Demyx said as he helped him into the duct and urged Roxas to not look back despite the dark path ahead.

"That's all of them…" Riku said with a heavy sigh, the last of the guards gone in only a minute or so, "It's amazing how pathetic people get when they're outnumbered."

"And where were you?" Seifer demanded, annoyed by the fact he'd showed up late and hadn't taken a single piece of damage.

Riku grinned though, only having one thing to say, "Making up for lost time."

"You deserve your name," Axel said disapprovingly. As they headed for the stairs though they heard an unusual but distinct sound; something like horses treading closer on soft ground, "…More of them," Axel said under his breath, looking towards the dark doorway. It was the sound of trained soldiers, lots of them, hurrying down the hall and getting close. There was no way they'd be able to defeat a number like last time again, especially since they were missing over half of their allies, "What now?"

"We can't let them catch up with the other," Riku said solemnly, "The only thing to do is hold them off as long as we can."

"Why don't we just run?" Seifer suggested as if it were an obvious solution.

Xigbar knew perfectly well what would happen, "There's no way the others have made it to the surface yet and our method of escape it pretty obvious…Russian soldiers are ruthless. They'd bomb the air ducts with enough force that the museum above us would fall right through. Crushed or burned to death? What a decision…"

"So it's us or them pretty much…" Demyx said quietly. Nobody else spoke, knowing that this was going to be their final stand. They were wounded, outnumbered, and as usual luck wouldn't be on their side; at least the others would make it out though. They just had to hold them off a while longer and then it would all be over for them.

"…I'll hold them off," everyone looked to Demyx as he hurried down the ladder, past Xigbar and down the stairs, "I'll do it."

They all knew what he was talking about and Zexion spoke up against it, "Even if you did manage to hold them all off there still wouldn't be enough time for you to escape."

"Don't worry! I've got a plan," Demyx said with his trademark smile, "Besides, no sense in all of us hanging around, right?"

"Demyx…" none of them knew what to say and Axel trailed off with a sigh, "You're sure?"

"I'm a master, don't worry guys," he laughed but it seemed forced and as they accepted the fact he was determined Zexion spoke up loudly, "We're just going to leave him?"

Xigbar knew there wasn't any other choice, "Yup." Demyx smiled despite the silence and he urged them on after a moment, "Get going! I'll see you guys later, don't worry about me!" They followed his instructions as the footsteps were growing louder and he watched them all disappear through the air duct. Zexion stayed on the ground level though and Demyx opened his arms wide, smiling still and pretending he wasn't under Zexion's disapproving gaze. Zexion walked away though, hurrying up the stairs and ladder without a word. Demyx dropped his arms with a sigh, still smiling and he called after him before he could disappear through the duct, "Zexy!"

Zexion paused and glanced back over his shoulder only to see Demyx make a heart with his hands and peer up at him through it with one eye. He didn't say anything though and neither did Demyx. What should they say? They both knew that the odds of Demyx making it out were pretty much nonexistent and they both knew that the search for a new Lust would begin as soon as he was gone. In a century he'd be a faded memory and they'd carry on. Zexion knew the procedure and knew prolonging the inevitable with smiles, hugs, and the little shape he made with his hands were only Demyx's way of pretending it wasn't going to happen. Zexion couldn't handle it though and without any acknowledgement he disappeared in the air duct.

Demyx watched him go and let his hands fall with a sigh, his smile still bold as he went to the center of the room and stood facing the door. He could see the light from their helmets and shut his eyes, humming to himself a little tune as he rolled his head from side to side ever so slightly, "Those you've known…and lost still walk behind you…"

A command was shouted in Russian and the guards filled the room, making a parameter around him as he raised his hands and more Russian was spoken. He didn't look addled though as he kept singing, _"All alone, they linger till they find you…Without them… the world grows dark around you…"_ The guns were readied and aimed and he hung his head with a smile, _"And nothing is the same…until you know that they have found you."_

Gunshots rang through the air but not a single one of them hit Demyx. To the alarm and horror of the commanding officer and the three dozen troops that didn't make up the parameter, each man that had formed a wall around the room turned to his right and shot the other in the head. Demyx looked up and they all fell as he dropped his arms. An order in Russian was delivered when he began to move his arms and body, freezing each soldier where he stood. This was his ability. Similar to Luxord he had the ability to control people, but while Luxord could only focus on one person Demyx only needed people to focus on him. Hypnosis through body movement, and it was an ability seemingly made especially for him. As a former dancer with the Moulin Rouge he was talented and after over a century of training he'd utilized each muscle in his body. As he danced each guard turned on another and began his assault, brutally ending the life of a comrade against their will.

His dance of death went on for only minutes and when he reopened his eyes he saw them all lying about, critically wounded or dead. He was exhausted though and had to sit down as he was overcome by a minor dizzy spell. This was what the others worried about; it took so much out of him it left him vulnerable and an easy target until he recuperated. He looked up as he heard a few soldiers getting to their feet, all barely clinging to life but alive enough to want revenge. Demyx sighed and hung his head, too worn out to do anymore and cursing himself for not finishing the job as accurately as he could have. The others were right, Zexion was right; he wasn't strong enough to take care of them all.

Four gunshots were heard and Demyx smiled, accepting his wounds. His body was too tired to feel though and he waited quietly for death to come, it had been over a century and his time was up.

"Don't just sit there looking helpless."

Demyx opened his eyes and looked towards the stairs, spotting Xigbar coming down them as he put his gun away. He looked back to the guards and saw them lying motionless, the look in their eyes blank with a lack of everything; including revenge, "X-Xigbar you…"

"I already said I was staying till the end," he said, holding a hand down to help him up, "And it looks like it's all over."

Demyx stared at his hand for a minute, still shocked and for the first time in decades he couldn't think of anything to say. Everyone else had left. Everyone left because anyone who even caught a glimpse of his dance would lose his senses and inevitably end his own life. It was a risk none of them dared to take and with that fact in mind Demyx didn't understand, "Why did you…How?"

"You're not that difficult to ignore," Xigbar said with an arrogant smirk, "Come on let's go, it's all over."

Demyx didn't know what to say, finally smiling and taking his hand, "I wouldn't say _everything_ is over," he said, back to his usual self and clearly hinting at something, "It is Saturday after all."

* * *

"Let's go," Seifer said with an impatient sigh.

Luxord shook his head though, "Xigbar and Demyx still haven't come out. We should wait."

"Waiting puts us at a greater risk at being found," Roxas admitted, for once agreeing with the virtues. He regretted the situation but it was only a matter of time before Larxene got word of what happened and reinforcements were sent in, "We need to get out of Russia."

"He's right…" Zexion agreed, "We all know he can't handle that many…and Xigbar was in the same room so he's probably-"

"Be quiet," Riku cut him short, "Go on if you'd like, let us know where you're going and we'll meet you there after confirming what you all seem to think is the truth."

Silence fell and Seifer scowled before heading for the road, leading the others with him. Their wounds had been quick stitched by Zexion and the pain was fading gradually, physically at least. The sins had lost two of their own, one a beam of cheer and the other of sarcasm. It was a fact they all knew but few accepted. "…I'll go back and check," Luxord said as he headed for the vent in the ground. He could hear a clanging sound though as he started to descend into the darkness. There was someone coming. He climbed back out and joined the others around the entrance, ready to eliminate them if it was an intruder. The virtues too came back to watch, curious as to what their sudden interest in the duct was until they heard the clanging too.

"Didn't expect a welcoming committee," they recognized the voice and a wave of shock and relief spread among the group as Xigbar climbed up the ladder with Demyx ridding piggyback.

"You're okay!" Sora stuttered, unable to act as nonchalant about their survival as the others. Embarrassedly he covered his mouth with one hand, grabbing Riku's with the other.

Demyx grinned as they came out into the fresh air, not letting go of Xigbar even after they were on solid ground, "Did you have any doubt?"

"A little," Sora admitted, glad to see they were both okay, "…The virtues wanted to leave you guys behind!"

"Tattletale," Roxas scolded with a laugh, clearly relieved to see them both alive and on their feet, "How are you feeling."

"I could definitely use a nap," Demyx admitted. They laughed but when Zexion came over to heal him Demyx's laughter ceased and he looked away while Xigbar put his arm around his shoulders. They all sensed the tension and saw the downcast stare Zexion wore but before they could think any further into it the distinct noise of choppers could be heard in the air, "What now?" Axel grumbled, looking to the sky for a clue. The flight vehicle was far too loud to be any commercial liner and Riku quickly climbed up a nearby fire escape to see what was coming. A few hundred feet above them and approaching quickly were six choppers, all wearing the insignia of the Russian Airborne Troops, "…Damn…We're in trouble."

"Yo! What is it?" Axel called up; like the others he was on pins and needles since they knew whatever it was it was coming was for them.

"VDV," was all Riku had to say and as the others discussed their course of action he tried to see what kind of threat they were facing. The Vozdushno-Desantnye Vojska, or VDV for short, was a ruthless service branch of the Russian Military formed just before World War II.

"Namine take a cab and get to the airport, we'll contact you once we have a new and secure destination," Luxord instructed. They needed to keep her and her family out of this as much as possible and she gave her adoptive family a round of hugs and goodbyes before doing as she was told. When she was gone Luxord regained order, "We'll have to flee either way and by no means should any of us go with our opposition. If they catch the matching sin and virtue we're in more shit." He was right and there were no objections, "We'll meet up at the mouth of Lake Ladoga, about 30 miles to the northeast."

"Soldiers are being released," Riku announced as he started coming down the fire escape hastily.

"You know where we're going so get moving! Make sure none of you are followed!" Seifer instructed and they broke into groups of two or three as they ran in separate directions. It wasn't safe to travel together, it risked too many lives and not just their own. Russian soldiers were ruthless and while their armory was a bit behind compared to other nation's forces they still had more than enough power to wipe them out with ease.

* * *

"_Madam?"_

Larxene looked up from the folder she'd been staring at blankly as her secretary paged her through the intercom on the desk's edge, _"Professor Hojo says he has something for you."_

"Send him in," she said before shutting the folder and straightening her jacket, knowing what he had and ready for the results, a knock alerting her of his arrival, "Come in."

"The results of those carbon dating tests on the hair sample you gave me came back," said the narrow faced professor, adjusting his glasses with one hand and handing her the folder with the other, "The sample registered as 139 years old, just as you predicted it would."

Larxene looked over the graphs and results with a pleased look on her face. In his unconscious state she'd stolen a bit of hair off Riku's head and was prepared to use it to her advantage, "Perfect, have this information leaked immediately. The VDV is dealing with them but if they escape the public will need legitimate proof that what I'm telling them is true."

"Interestingly enough, I had enough time to conduct one more study," Hojo said, urging her to turn the page, "Just how old are you madam Capulet?"

"I think your employment in my service is over professor," before he realized what was going on she'd pushed a button under her desk and a moment later the door opened and in came three security guards who immediately heeded her command without second thought, "Kill him." She watched the men cart away the corpse as her secretary came in casually, completely overlooking the blood on the floor, "Rikku, what's the status of St. Petersburg?"

Her blonde secretary grinned and shrugged, "Is there any doubt in your mind? They'll be history soon enough."

"They're not stupid, they won't run together which means finding them all will be a challenge in itself," Larxene sighed while ripping out the page the professor had tried to blackmail her with, "Do you honestly think they're going to be caught easily? By a government group nonetheless?"

Rikku didn't answer right away, curious but not as intent on the matter as Larxene seemed to be, "You're the one who hired them though."

"That's true," was all she said.

Rikku seemed a bit more interested now and quickly asked, "So you want them to get away?"

"Not all of them. Bait is all we need, and for that we only need one sin and one virtue," she said before extending the folder to Rikku, "See that this hits the press hard, especially in Russian territory. The more public support we enlist the easier this will be for all of us."

"Except them!" Rikku cheered as she hurried off to do as she was told and Larxene watched as the custodian came in to clean up the mess left behind by the professor, _'No, especially them,'_ she thought with a heavy sigh, getting to her feet to go check on how things were going on the other side of the world.

* * *

"Where are they?"

That was the question on everyone's mind but Luxord finally voiced. It had been six hours since they split up and while it was 30 miles from St. Petersburg to the lake it should have been an easy enough trip even on foot. They were missing several members though, including Roxas, Zexion, Demyx, Tidus, Xigbar, Seifer, and Squall.

"They all have phones, I still think we should just call them," Axel insisted, clearly concerned, "If they need help then we should-"

"If we call them and they're hiding, or worse, have been caught it will do more hurt than help," Cid argued, "I say we should wait at least a few more hours before trying to contact them. If they needed help they'd call anyway."

"Unlikely," Riku told them all, "That would risk whoever they called as well since it could be traced back to our own location." He understood that they were panicked but the only thing they could do to prevent endangering the rest of them was nothing.

Lake Ladoga was the largest freshwater lake in Europe and served as a source of drinking water, fishing, and peace. The lake emptied out through the Neva River which traveled right through St. Petersburg and the mouth served as the perfect meeting point since it couldn't be confused. Though a good portion of the surrounding area was marshland, further down by the water things were clearer and colder, sections of the lake frozen over because of the low winter temperatures. It was far enough out of St. Petersburg that they wouldn't be pursued and there were enough bits of coverage to keep them from being spotted from the air.

"What are we going to do if they don't show up though?" Cloud asked, "It's not like we can just sit here waiting. It won't be long before they spread their search radius out to here."

"We can't keep running like this that's for sure," Sora was sick of it and had trouble believing that less than a month ago things were peaceful.

Riku agreed and decided there was only one course of action, "We just need to get rid of her."

"Says the fool whose plan to 'ruin her' back in St. Petersburg never got off the ground. How do you propose we do anything? She's got this little thing called 'protection' you know," Axel scoffed, annoyed that he made it sound like an easy task.

"I've heard of it, your parents apparently didn't though," surprisingly Axel didn't lash out after his comment and it was clear he didn't care anymore, "Let's go back to New York, may as well deal with things at the source of the problem."

Luxord nodded, "I already made arrangements with Namine, she and the Lears are ready to help out however they can. Room and board in a ground zero location would be nice so we can figure out Larxene's new pattern."

"I asked what we're going to do if the others don't show up," Cloud spoke up, his question essentially turned around and overlooked, "What if they don't show up? Are we supposed to just leave and pretend they were just an affordable loss?"

Nobody spoke up and Axel got up after the silence became too much, heading up the hill for the lake. It was senseless to sit around talking when there was nothing they could do, nobody they could help. As Axel left, the others heard footsteps approaching in the dark, squishing through the muddy wet marsh. At first they were ready to silence the intruders but a familiar voice provided more relief than Demyx probably realized, "Hallo!"

"What took you?" Luxord asked, not sparing words of comfort or joy as Demyx and Xigbar came into the moonlight.

"We got a little…sidetracked," Demyx laughed a bit as he latched onto Xigbar's arm, "Right Xiggy?"

Xigbar tried to shrug him off but Demyx just held on so he let him stay, "Not like we're the last ones to arrive or anything. Still missing quite a few it looks like." Demyx notice that too and made note that Zexion was nowhere to be seen, "Did they get captured?" he quickly asked but silence was the answer. Nobody knew what had happened to their missing members and there was no telling where they were now, let alone in what condition.

* * *

"God damn it…damn damn, damity damn…damn it," Axel cursed quietly as he kicked a loose rock at his feet, sending the stone and mud out into the water. A yelp quickly alerted him that he wasn't alone and he lit a fire to see what was there. A gray seal was swimming away across the water's surface hastily and he sighed before absorbing the fire, "Sorry." He was sorry for numerous things, including hitting a seal. With another trail of mumbled curses he sat down on the shore and ruffled his hands through his hair. Roxas was gone. He didn't know if he was okay. He didn't know if he'd been captured. He didn't even know if he was still alive. They weren't allowed to travel together because if they were somehow caught their chances of prolonged existence were cut to practically nothing. Larxene needed rival sins and virtues, just what the couple was, so Roxas fled with Tidus while Axel ran with Luxord.

With the current state of things he didn't know who to be mad at, or whether he should be mad at all. He had no idea where his lover was, or in what condition, but at the same time he was also missing comrades who he'd spent most of his life with.

"You're quite pathetic, you know that?" Axel didn't acknowledge that he'd heard him and Luxord didn't care, "Fallen pretty far from what you used to be and all because of some drunken fuck over a year ago. Should be a lesson there somewhere."

Axel figured his lesson was something sarcastic and blunt, "Drinking is bad?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of _blondes only cause trouble_," Luxord laughed a bit and sat down by him, "Don't worry, Larxene won't kill any of them. Not while their oppositions are safe with us at least." His words offered little comfort for Axel but he wasn't offering comfort, just the truth.

"Hey, the others are hungry and the virtues don't know how to swim," they both looked over as Riku came over to join them. It had been nearly 48 hours since most of them had eaten on the count of they had to flee and there wasn't time to waste, "At least that's the excuse they're using."

"Makes me wonder what they would have done if that boat they traveled here on sank," Luxord chuckled a bit and stood up, taking a gun out of the holster and pointing it at the water. Three quick shots and fish floated to the top. It was on old trick, the shock waves of the bullets through the water were more than enough to cause little fishy heart attacks and kill them even if he didn't hit any. Usually it wouldn't work since it was a large body of water but the concentration of fish was so dense six large catfish and several smaller brims were now lifeless on the surface.

Axel stood up and rolled up his pants before wading into the water to retrieve their meal, "As usual things die so we can carry on."

"Axel!"

They all looked back when they heard the out of breath voice and Axel was hurrying back out of the water. He bolted past Riku and Luxord, meeting Roxas just as he was coming down to the shore. Luxord chuckled and looked away from the forbidden affair, "I don't get it."

"There's nothing to get, they're happy," Riku said while rolling up his pants so he could go get their dinner.

Luxord didn't acknowledge the sounds of the two making up and eagerly indulging in relief, "They're going to get in trouble."

"Right now," Riku told him, "Their happiness should be the least of our worries."

* * *

So that's that. No cliffhanger this time guys, surprised? I mean sure there are still a few people missing but we'll find out how they're doing later on in…the final chapter. It is going to be a very long one I predict, longer than any I've written before, and it will be up when I said. Check out my DA page please, there are a few more details on my logic behind choosing 7 days and you're all welcome to join in if you please, in fact I'd enjoy it.

I need to sleep now though because my head hurts and I have to get up in 6, but please let me know what you thought. This close to the end I could really use some detailed feedback. This chapter was more of a springboard/setup for the big finale, which I hope makes up for what this one may be lacking. I'm behind on reviews still, I know, but give me time to catch up with myself and I will reply to them I assure you. Thank you guys for reading and I wish you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	21. Sinful Finale

Well here it is, the final chapter of _Define Sin_; possibly my favorite story to write yet. Thank you all for bearing with me through this story and hanging in there even when my updates were…sporadic for lack of a better adjective. I just spent the evening sitting through a football game (a sport I despise but had to go in order to act as 'the supportive girlfriend' figure) and going over this all in my head. I can honestly say I'm happy with every aspect of this story and wouldn't change a thing. Enjoy, and thank you for reading.

**Quick Sidenote! **So this chapter didn't turn out to be as long as I thought it would be but there is A LOT going on which just makes it seem long. ALSO the song Demyx sings in this chapter is more of the one he sang in the last. It's called 'Those You've Known' and it's from an amazing musical called _Spring Awakening._ Take a listen if you guys can because it's a real treat.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**Sinful Finale**

"Three!"

Over 100 million people were watching in America, while an estimated 1 billion around the world tuned in. Time Square was filled to the maximum and those who couldn't fit in the streets were hanging out windows or piling atop cars.

"Two!"

Another year was coming to an end and people cheered and celebrated as the gigantic Waterford crystal ball, alive with light, slowly reached it's final destination at the base of the One Times Square building. It was a tradition dating back to the early 1900's and always served as a night of drinking, celebrating, and reminiscing. As 2009 came to a close though neither Time Square, nor the rest of the world, knew what was coming.

"One!"

As the giant LED powered ball came to a rest over 8 million people were suddenly without power. A blackout swept over the city that never slept, stirring chaos and fear while cell phones, fireworks and police flashlights attempted to illuminate the square to no avail. Then, as if hearing their panic, the enormous crystal ball lit aflame and made the situation even more out of control. 2010 was here and already there was no way of controlling it.

"Madam Capulet, are you alright?"

Larxene had gotten up already and was loading a small handgun she kept in her desk. From her window she could see the gigantic blaze barely a quarter of a mile away and knew it wasn't an electrical fire, nor was this a normal blackout. The entire city was without power and chaos was merely serving as a distraction, "Get to your lockdown positions. Notify the NYPD about a break in at one of the three main electrical plants and send a copter out looking for suspicious rooftop dwellers. Special forces arm yourselves and come with me," was all she said before forcing her way into the hall and heading for the stairs. Within seconds her special forces, the trio of girls she'd enlisted for this sort of situation, were armed and at her heels, "They're here."

Less than four steps down the large window engulfing the stairway shattered and as they ducked to avoid the glass in swooped a quick flash of red and before they could recover Vincent grabbed Larxene and threw her out the window. The trio rushed to help her but a series of ceiling tiles exploded and down came Xigbar with more explosives. Larxene didn't panic as she fell four stories through the frigid air, knowing they weren't going to kill her. She was right and Demyx and Riku grabbed onto her as she reached the fourth level of her fall, still two stories above the ground. They pulled her in and Luxord quickly immobilized her with a stare while Riku searched her for keys. As he found the series of keys in her coat pocket Demyx heaved a sigh of relief, "Good, now get going! We can hold them off."

"And if that little dance of his doesn't work I have a feeling we'll appeal to their better nature," Luxord said sarcastically as he pulled the handgun out of his sister's hand and put it between her eyes.

"We'll meet up again after this is all over," Riku said confidently before taking off down the stairs, keys in hand. Before their ambush Luxord had managed to hack into the building's system and dig up a floor plan. As it turned out there was a second basement level below storage and that was the only place their comrades could have been held out of the public eye. Sora was waiting for him on the first basement level and when he got there he was glad to see he'd already taken care of all the guards like he was supposed to. Sora was a surprisingly good killer contrary to what his appearance may suggest and he didn't seem bothered by the blood on his hands, "Got them?"

"Would I be here if I didn't?" it wasn't the time for small talk and Sora understood, moving aside as he started going through the keys in search of the right one. The seconds of silence were suffocating and Sora kept looking around the dark room while keeping his flashlight on the door, expecting someone to burst in and interrupt their plan. Finally though, with a compliant clank, the heavy door unlocked and Sora heaved a sigh of relief as it opened. Down one last long flight of stairs in the dark they saw their final destination to be not at all what they expected. Sora froze up when he saw the large amount of blood staining the walls and floor, no sign of their comrades. "The bars are broken…From the look of things Zexion used the blackout to his advantage," Riku said, somewhat relieved but not sure where to go next since their original plans didn't involve this. Sora felt uneasy though and he grabbed onto Riku's hand for some assurance things were okay; unfortunately as soon as he did his vision went away along with the rest of his senses, a vision taking over at the worst possible time.

* * *

"They remind me of ants when you kick over a rock," Roxas commented as he stared down over the roof ledge. He and Axel stood perched high atop a building in Time Square only 20 feet or so away from the large crystal aflame. Chaos was the only way to describe the current state of New York and here at ground zero things were at their worst. Axel sat up from where he lie comfortably, peering over the edge with a slight laugh, "Kind of funny watching them isn't it?"

"In a sad sort of way," Roxas sighed, sitting down next to him and rubbing his gloved hands together to keep warm. Axel realized he was cold and formed a controlled fire in his hands but Roxas quickly told him, "Stop! If anyone sees they'll know!" The mysterious 'electrical fire' was nothing more than Axel's manipulation of the element at work and served merely as a distraction.

"Don't worry, nobody's paying attention in this mess," Axel assured him, beckoning him to warm up. The record low for this time of year was 13 below zero and tonight that record was darn close to being beaten, "Not even the police. They only turned on their sirens to mask their own confusion. Nobody knows what to do but everyone's to blame."

Roxas smiled a little and scooted closer to warm up some, "We shouldn't take joy in their panic." The radio in his back pocket suddenly buzzed and he took it out to answer the call, "Hey Cid, you should see things over here!"

"Get down!" Both Axel and Roxas did as he said, "We're in trouble and you're in the same shit! Larxene knows and the NYPD has us boxed in, they're sending a copter out looking for you too!"

"Do you need backup?" Axel asked as he snatched the radio from Roxas. Before Cid could answer they heard Cloud shouting in the background, "C-4 they're wedging C fucking 4 in the doorway!"

Roxas knew little about explosives but the moldable and potent weaponry was something he was familiar with, "Get out of there!"

"What part of 'boxed in' didn't you hear?!"

"We're on our way!" Roxas tried to say but an explosion could be heard both over the radio and through the air and he grabbed the radio, "Cid! Cloud!" he couldn't move and Axel had to grab him and pull him under the ledge as a copter flew overhead, searchlight scanning over rooftops and barely missing them. Axel held onto him, "Don't lose it yet…Odds are they aren't the only lives that'll be lost before the sun comes up."

* * *

"Boy are you boys stupid," Yuna laughed as she and the other two rushed down the hall at Demyx and Luxord, Larxene still with a gun between her eyes and immobilized.

Demyx quickly raised his arms as they came into the moonlit view, ready to turn them against each other. To his alarm though Rikku threw one of the twin blades in her hand right at him and though he moved to avoid she still caught him in the shoulder. Demyx staggered and quickly ripped the blade back out but it was too late and Rikku knocked him over. Paine and Yuna caught up quick and with one quick jab Paine pinned him to the ground with the sword right through his gut. Demyx couldn't scream, unable to do anything with the horrible pain.

"Let him go!" Luxord ordered, jabbing the gun harder against Larxene's skull, "Don't think blood will keep me from killing her," she wasn't his sister anymore; she was a traitor who had crossed the line and would pay for her actions. The trio didn't move, knowing he was serious, but Paine didn't bother taking the sword out either and Demyx began to let out little grimaces and whimpers of pain as he tried to breathe.

"Demyx!"

They all looked to the stairs leading below as the Zexion and the rest of the escapees bolted up them. Demyx looked over and spotted him, finally letting out the pained breath he'd been containing with a short cry. Just as he reached the landing though three gunshots rang through the air and Zexion staggered, blood running down from behind the bangs covering one eye and two other shot wounds staining his shirt. Demyx could see the smirk on Yuna's face as he fell forward lifelessly. Demyx screamed with the little breath he had left and as Seifer, Tidus, and Squall rushed in to fight Paine withdrew her sword. Before she could rush to fight though, Demyx sat up and grabbed a knife off his ankle, using it to rip a large tear in her ankle tendons. When she fell he fell on her and jabbed the blade through her back, breathing heavily as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Luxord spotted Rikku running at him and hastily turned his gun on her but she was too quick and just as Larxene regained control over her body Luxord lost all ties with his. She watched her brother collapse and Rikku leap over him, the gash across his throat deep but he was laughing a bit despite the ongoing fight. She dove down next to him and rubbed a hand across the thin hair atop his head, "I'm so sorry," she whispered quietly under the noise of clanging metal and gunfire, "I just wanted to give you peace…"

"W-we…we never a…a-asked for it," Luxord insisted, a bit of blood trailing out of the corner of his smirk.

Demyx lie there on Paine's dying body, determined to kill her as he pulled the knife out and stabbed her again at the base of the neck. He couldn't stop crying and he couldn't breathe either, why was this happening? He felt a set of arms grab him and he tried to protest as Xigbar picked him up and fired a bullet through the back of Paine's skull, finishing off the job for him, "Put me down! Zexion is-"

"He's dead!" Xigbar snapped bluntly before rushing back to the stairs leading up, ignoring Demyx's protesting and sobbing as he tried to struggle away. They passed the dark haired corpse on the stairs where Vincent had been taken by blood loss. Demyx heard the sound of dozens of guns cocked and even though he couldn't see them he saw the expression on Xigbar's face and knew their route of escape wasn't going to work. He stopped crying when Xigbar smirked down at him and before he could figure out what it meant he was thrown back down the stairs. Demyx hit the last two just as the gunfire erupted and he covered his ears tightly, knowing it was all over. Zexion was dead. Luxord was dead. Xigbar was dead. Who next? Who else had fallen without his knowing? He looked up and over the top of the stairs he could see Xigbar's arm hanging limp and blood beginning to run down the stair.

Ignoring the pain in his body he forced himself to his feet quickly. Three of the people he'd spent over a century with had been killed right before his eyes and he wouldn't let one more person die while he could still breathe. "Put your hands in the air!" one of the guards shouted at the top of the stairs, over a dozen guns all aimed down at him.

Demyx smiled a little with his bleeding lip as he did as he was told, proceeding to dance the forces to death, _"Those you've pained may carry that still with them…All the same, they whisper all forgiven…There's still hope." _Their cries of agony served as a soothing lullaby in his haunted mind and he found the pain in his body pleasing as the final guard put a bullet though his skull and came tumbling down the flight of stairs. Demyx kept dancing though after it was all over, smiling until he accidentally stumbled and collapsed to the ground. He couldn't do anymore. He couldn't breathe, dance, sing, or hope for a moment longer and he glanced up at Xigbar's limply extended hand before sighing out the last bit of oxygen in his lungs, breathing in the sweet death that had been hanging over his head for so long.

* * *

_Dead. He was dead._

Sora opened his eyes, staring up at Riku horrorstruck, "We have to leave."

"What did you see?" Riku asked, trying to calm him down but Sora seemed far beyond condolence.

"Riku please! We have to leave now, you're going to die!" he quickly explained as he scrambled to his feet, grabbing Riku's hand with both of his and trying to pull him out of the room. Riku didn't move though and Sora didn't understand, "Didn't you hear me?! Riku you're going to die if you stay here!"

"Probably so," Riku said, surprising Sora immensely and he froze completely, "Can't you feel it Sora? We've already lost some of the others…We all knew this was our last resort and the only way even some of us would make it out was for everything to go perfectly."

"But they still can! You don't know that they're dead!" Sora insisted loudly, "We can run and…" Sora trailed off. He knew Riku was right and even though they hadn't witnessed it they could tell their comrades had fallen.

"We can't just run away now. Even if we made it out of the building we'd never be able to get far," Riku was right, they both knew it but when he reached for Sora with his free hand Sora let go and ran for the stairs. Riku took out his lighter and used it to light up the way as he hurried after him, not about to lose him this close to the end. As soon as he reached the first basement level though he saw a sight that proved fate was catching up with them.

"Let's stop this Riku," Larxene said softly. She was holding Sora's flashlight and standing by Yuna, who'd definitely taken heavy damage but could still function. Yuna had one arm wrapped around Sora to hold him still and in the other hand she held a gun pressed against his skull, "This is for you. I'm doing this all to help you."

He looked mad enough already but hearing that made things worse, "Help us what? Suffer even more?!" she didn't say anything and he went on, "You stupid game of 'messiah' has put us through so much! What the hell justifies what you've done to us?!"

"This way you can rest in peace," she told him, "So you don't have to go on any more and nobody ever has to endure your burden."

Riku didn't say anything for a long time and though Sora started crying he started laughing, "We never asked for your help…Do you know why?" Larxene didn't speak and Riku pushed up his sleeve with a laugh, revealing the slits up his left arm, "Because if we wanted to end our suffering we would have done it ourselves! Pain is a reminder that we were once normal!"

Larxene stared at the cuts but when he pushed one of his knives against his neck Sora begged him to stop, "Riku don't! Please!"

After a few seconds he complied with Sora's pleas and let go of his weapons before pushing his sleeve back down, "You see? We've kept going so others don't have to suffer…But you never understood that you backstabbing little bitch. The reason you haven't seen a doctor is for the same reason you think we need to be 'put out of our misery,' you just can't take it anymore. We could have though and you've ended how many lives tonight?!"

"One more now," Yuna said, sick of the entire thing and pulling the trigger.

* * *

"…What do we do? Axel…they're all…dead," Roxas didn't know what was wrong with him. He should have been crying, mourning the loss of so many people he knew but instead he couldn't feel anything at all. Axel didn't say anything, nor did he acknowledge him. It was a difficult truth to swallow but he knew Roxas was probably right. It was less than a half an hour into a new year and while resolutions were being made elsewhere, revolutions were being made for them. "We should go see if they need help…Surely some of them must be okay right? Sora? Xigbar? Riku?...Axel we need to go," Roxas mumbled, not sure what else to do. While they remained safe atop a building the others were likely dead less than a mile away.

"This is our chance," Axel finally spoke and Roxas looked at him quickly, "Roxas this could be our chance! What we've been waiting for…We can get away and be together without them."

"Axel…" he couldn't believe what he was hearing, "…You'd really just leave them to die? After all you've been through together?"

"It's now or never Roxas!" Axel raised his voice as he stood up and Roxas stared at him in disbelief, "This is our only chance! You can go back there to look for corpses but I'm not going to risk my neck for anyone…"

Roxas slowly shook his head, was he really hearing this? He knew Axel was cold but was he really going to just leave them behind like they were just unwanted toys, "Is that really how you feel?" Axel didn't say anything and Roxas felt his heart sinking. He'd waited for so long to get away and be free with Axel and now that the opportunity was here he saw just to what extent Axel was willing to go, "Why though?"

"Because I love you," was all Axel said and it was enough to justify it all in Roxas' mind. Axel held his hand down to take help him up but just as Roxas took it, accepting that they were leaving the others behind for the sake of their own happiness, he felt a searing pain in his heart.

* * *

"What did you do that for?" Larxene demanded. Yuna had fired the gun but it hadn't been to kill Sora, it was fired at Riku and not with the intention of killing him. A bullet to the chest apparently missed his heart but had been enough to send him to his knees. "I didn't tell you to shoot him," Larxene scolded but Yuna shoved Sora aside into her where she held him still despite his struggling.

"You're just dragging things out, kill them and get on with it," Yuna said as she went over to finish him off since it seemed he couldn't move thanks to the chest wound. Larxene didn't argue but Sora begged her to stop through tears and struggling. As soon as she aimed the gun down at him though he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, twisting and tumbling around in a bit of a struggle over the gun. Shots were fired but it seemed as though they all went into the wall or ceiling, neither one of them able to gain the upper hand. Finally one of them dominated and Riku managed to get a bullet through her shoulder, enough to make her cringe so he could pin her and place a single shot through her skull.

Neither Larxene nor Sora moved for a long silent moment. Finally Riku fell over onto his side and Larxene let Sora go as he rushed over to him, carefully lifting his head up into his lap, "Hang on, Zexion will be here soon to make everything okay!" he was being irrational. They both knew if Larxene had managed to get to this level then everyone above them had been killed, including Zexion. He grabbed onto Riku's hand though and held tight when he realized he'd taken a second shot to the chest, this one much closer to his heart and possibly not something even Zexion could have healed. When he looked from the new wound back to his face though he saw his eyes were shut and his breathing had stopped. Sora couldn't move, couldn't breathe. He was really dead. He had died right in front of him and he didn't even get to say goodbye, "…You…You devil!" he shouted, glaring fiercely at Larxene with undying hatred, "Just because you can't handle your shit of a life didn't mean we weren't happy!" Sora grabbed the gun out of Riku's hand and pointed it right at her. Larxene didn't try to stop him but after several moments of silence he turned it back on himself and before she could stop him he'd put an end to his own life.

* * *

Axel sat there helplessly watching as Roxas cringed in his arms, his pain worsening, "T-They all dead! Ah! I didn't do anything! Axel!" He couldn't take it, his mind was screaming, his heart was choking, and his ears were ringing, "Axel they're all gone!"

"Roxas…" he had no idea what to do. How could he make the pain go away when there was no way to revert the cause of it? They couldn't bring back the people Roxas was now suffering for, simply for not helping as a kind natured soul would.

He'd never been in this much pain in his entire life and he sobbed in agony while clutching onto Axel's shoulders and burying his head in his chest, "Axel please! Make it stop!!" Axel couldn't watch any more. Why wasn't the voice telling him that his time was up? That he no longer lived up to his name? It had something to do with the lack of balance in their existence that he was sure of. What was the point of having to live up to a name when there was nobody to oversee and aide in that process? There was only one thing he could do and it was the last thing in the world he wanted to do. He lifted Roxas' face up to his and after a few moments of staring into his pained gaze they both knew what had to be done. Axel put his lips against his and his hand over Roxas' heart. Instantly Roxas stopped crying and fell limply against Axel's body and Axel wrapped his arms tightly around the small euthanized blonde.

A combination of stress and heat was all it took to peacefully put that little heart to rest and though Axel now cried he knew there was nothing else he could've done. With their lifespan Roxas could have suffered for an eternity and Axel would have to spend each day watching and knowing he was suffering because he was selfish. He didn't want him to suffer, he never wanted him to suffer, all he wanted was to be with him. His heart ached with pain far worse than what Roxas had endured but he wasn't experiencing it because he didn't live up to his sin.

Axel leaned Roxas back in his arms, staring at him sadly. Aside from his tear stained face he looked like he was sleeping soundly and would wake up if Axel just shook him the right way. He didn't though because he knew Roxas was gone. He was gone and Axel was left alone in a world he didn't belong in. None of them belonged here and the others had already gone on to whatever awaited them after death. Would he meet Roxas in the next life? Probably not he thought. Roxas deserved heaven, an eternal and peaceful existence. Axel didn't even deserve hell, nor did he deserve all that Roxas had given him. His blonde angel had changed his life so much in the short time they knew each other and if he could he'd go back he would, and he'd cherish every last moment.

He heard the police helicopter approaching and saw the searchlight getting closer. It was his turn, but he wouldn't go out like this, not at the hands of people like this. Recomposing himself Axel stood up, still clutching Roxas to his chest and being careful not to stir him. He walked over to the ledge of the rooftop and put one foot up on the brick, looking back at the blazing crystal ball blankly. So it was finally over. After 140 years he was finally going to get to rest.

Looking down at the seemingly sleeping virtue in his arms he smiled and kissed his forehead, "Thanks for making it worth living," he said before stepping up onto the ledge and turning around and shutting his eyes. He defined his sin perfectly, hating everything in the world, especially what love had done to him. Seconds later the mysterious fire that had engulfed the crystal ball in time square faded completely, leaving the city and the world of sin and virtue in darkness.

* * *

So out of over 350 visitors (roughly 700 hits) in the past week (statistics off reader traffic) only 27 of you voted on my poll about the ending. 14 of you thought it would be sad, 13 thought it would be happy. As you can see, the majority was correct, and while I'm not one for a sad ending I feel this ending fits perfectly and if anyone thought people like the characters I created could find a happy ending then you are a bit too optimistic when it comes to my expectations.

It's not over though, I still have an epilogue which I'll post in exactly 7 hours and that may make some of you feel better. If that doesn't then I'll go ahead and make **my grand idea** known now. Over the next few months I'm going to be posting chapters such as 'Sin: Pride' and that for example will be Riku's history and a little side story on how he got dragged into it all. I'm personally proud of all of them…haha, proud…pride…sorry, I'm amused easily after the boring evening I had watching _football._

What did you guys think though? I mean were you really expecting a happy ending for them? I'm curious, were there issues, questions, rants you had? Reviews would be lovely to serve as sort of icing on top of my cake of satisfaction. I've completed 4 stories now, 3 of which seem to be quite popular! I'll post a new story before the month is out but at the moment I'm tossing around two ideas (after narrowing it down thoroughly) and it's either going to be 'Choreographed,' or 'A City of Opportunity.' I like them both but can only focus on one with the busy remainder of the year. No details about either will be spared as of right now but put me on 'authors alert' or whatever it is and you'll be notified when I finally post one or the other.

No final words right now since the story isn't over yet. I'll get sentimental in the epilogue. Wishing you all the best in all the world until then ('then' being in 7 hours)

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	22. Epilogue

Enjoy.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Rain. Why was there rain? He hated the rain. Shouting outside his window alerted him that something was going on and with a disoriented sigh he rolled over in bed, pulling the blanket tighter around him and reaching for the blonde sleeping beside him. There was nothing there though and a horrible realization hit Axel all at once, mentally jarring him as he sat straight up and looked around the room, "What's going on?" he whispered, raising a hand as he tried to ignite a fire to illuminate the space. To his alarm and horror nothing happened though and he instead scrambled out of bed and to the window, stumbling over an unseen obstacle in the darkness. Outside he saw what could only be described as the sickest most mortifying sight he'd ever seen; a London dock, busy even at this late hour. He'd been here before.

Knowing exactly where everything was in the dark room which should have been unfamiliar, he bolted for the door, shoved it open and rushed up onto deck where a cold evening wind engulfed him. He hadn't felt cold like this in so long, his eternal internal fire was extinguished though and for the first time in over 100 years he was truly normal. He eyed his shabby pants and coat, a pelt he'd stolen from a hunter on his trip from Yokohama to London. His hair was shorter, his skin was whiter, and his body was weaker. What was going on? He could feel, he could think, he wasn't dreaming so why was this…

"Oy! You!"

'_Rotten stowaway…' _Axel thought, remembering it all and not having to turn and face the deckhand he'd encountered before.

"Rotten stowaway!"

Without so much as a word Axel fled, barefoot down the dock and into the snowy city. London. This was London but without the modernization he'd seen it in not so long ago, this was long before the world had changed and evolved. Ignoring the noise around him he dove for one of the discarded newspapers in the street, clutching it tight in his freezing hands as he read: December 13th, 1888. The past continued to ring through his ears as he heard whistles and shouts in the distance. He knew what the ruckus was all about and bolted down the empty streets. Within moments he'd reached the outskirts of town and saw officers and men in lab coats searching a field. Without thinking he ducked behind a series of withered shrubbery and tried to calm his breathing.

"Thought you'd be here."

Axel didn't look up the tree, knowing who was there and having trouble accepting the implausible, "What's going on?"

"The theory that eliminating both sins would put an end to our cycle may be true, but eliminating them all at once simply results in this it seems," Riku said, sounding amused to say the least, "We kept balance. Without sins or virtues the world results to it's previous condition."

"That doesn't make sense," was all Axel said before a pair of shoes came crashing down on his head.

"Nothing makes sense right now, but it's happening. Put those on, you'll need them since you're going to be traveling further," Riku said, making one thing clear: he was going to replay history even more by acquiring his sin.

Axel couldn't believe what he just said, "Are you crazy? We can avoid everything now! We can prevent it from happening if we just run!"

"Is that what you want though?" Riku asked, sounding serious even though Axel still hadn't looked up at him, "Do you want to subject an innocent life to what we've been through?" Axel didn't answer, a clear no, and Riku assured him, "The others will accept their fates too you know, even Roxas."

"Roxas? But he…he wasn't the original," Axel pointed out.

"But he was the one who was killed the same day the rest of us were," Riku pointed out, "Odds are he'll be the one we meet up with in a few years."

"…So we have to go through it all again?" Axel couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that he'd accepted death only to have life forced back into him, "The world…that existence we watched over for so long…it couldn't go on without us?"

"Sin is everywhere; we personify it and keep it from destroying order. Seems only fitting that without us the world would fall apart," Riku had climbed down from the tree and shrugged off snow that had accumulated on him while up there, like Axel he looked significantly less worn and hardened while wearing clothes of their era, "Come on Axel, Xigbar and Luxord are probably already waiting."

Axel didn't move, nor did he want to. He'd accepted death and it felt like only moments ago when he fell from the building top with Roxas in his arms, "We can change things this time." Riku nodded and Axel got up to his knees, "We can work together with the virtues too."

"Which means you and Roxas can be together," Riku said with a slight laugh, knowing that was exactly what Axel was thinking and wanted to hear.

Axel chuckled and thought about it for a moment. Was it worth it? Undergoing the agonizing experiment, accepting the burden that came with his sin, facing history and all it's brutality for a second time? The answer was clear and when Riku ran out from their hiding place, sending the officers and scientists frantic, Axel followed.

"There's two of 'em!"

"Get both! Don't need witnesses!"

Just as history had foretold so many years ago a bullet was fired and caught Riku in the shoulder. He fell and Axel froze when a second shot went through his own side and sent him to his knees. This felt like the first time he'd been shot and he had no sinful immunities that helped ease the pain, but it was a pleasant reminder that he was mortal for the time being. As the pain from the shot seeped through him Axel couldn't contain gasps of agony and a smile. The cold air, the pain, and the fear were all wonderful sensations he'd missed but not nearly as much as he'd miss Roxas; and for that reason alone would he shoulder his sin again.

"Yup, he's our target a'right."

Axel looked up as they identified Riku before putting a rag over his mouth and in seconds he was unconscious. The next time he opened his eyes he'd be in the London base, likely in excruciating pain as he served as the test subject for an experiment which brought them all together long ago. Now it was Axel's turn.

"Wat do we do with the other?"

"Send him to Japan, I hear they're lookin for a nobody to turn into their Wrath lab rat."

And like that his fate was sealed once again. This time around though his thoughts as consciousness slipped out of his grip weren't of hatred for Riku, his wife, or his adoptive family. His only thoughts were focused on the glimmer of hope that waited for him when he woke up, that he'd escape and find Roxas. Things would be different this time around and he wouldn't waste a single moment of his sinful life.

* * *

There. It's all done. I'm through with this story and proud of every word. I apologize if this last portion was a bit…confusing or unrealistic, but I honestly dreamt this up after finishing the ending and original epilogue. Originally this was going to be a reflection on Larxene's part as she watched press coverage over the dead bodies of the sins and virtues. The world was going to be an utter mess only a week after their disappearance and unable to handle the fact she was responsible for it all she shoots herself. I like this epilogue much better because let's face it, if there weren't the yin and yang we would be nothing and the world would fall apart quite quickly. ALSO…at least this way there's some hope for them finding happiness :)

Thank you all for reading. I really wouldn't be anything if I didn't have people to entertain and I'd love to hear what you thought. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback in the past and thank each person who took the time to read and even more thanks to those who reviewed. Only takes a minute or two but it really means a lot and while I may not be the quickest to reply I do read each and every one. I hope you enjoyed this story because believe me, it was so much fun to put together.

As always: wishing you all the best in all the world.

Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	23. Sin: Pride

I mentioned towards the end of this story I was thinking of doing origin bits for the sins and finally got a wave of inspiration/motivation/time to do this. The first one up is my favorite sin and one of my favorite origins just because…well I'll say at the end. Six more to come after this one.

SIDENOTE: For those of you reading my new story Heaven's Light please accept my apology. Somewhere between a broken router and a temporary lack of laptop access I lost drive. It's coming back though and I nearly have a new chapter done, just want to write a bit more because (not to sound selfish) I won't post anything unless I'm satisfied with it first. It will be worth the wait I assure you :)

* * *

**Sin: Pride**

**London, England**

**September 30****th****, 1888**

Jack wouldn't stop laughing. Even now, with his head hanging off, he kept laughing like the madman he'd become. He owed the dying man for making him into the threat he was but his work had become a mess which was leaving far too many clues as to who he may be. If they caught Jack, they'd catch him as well. Loyalty and debt aside he couldn't chance getting caught, "Sorry Jack," was all he said before finishing his work with one quick cut which silenced the ripper. With the body motionless and just taking up space on the sidewalk his killer pushed it over the edge of the bridge before picking up the head, taking his hat, and dropping the rest of the corpse into the water. The ripper would live on, it was too profitable of a title and occupation and Riku wasn't about to give up on it.

Odds were someone had reported the madman's laughter and the police were on their way so he pulled a kerchief out of his back pocket and wiped the blood off his knives before tucking them back up his sleeve. His hands weren't coming clean though since the fabric had absorbed all it could and with a frustrated complaint he pocketed the bloody handkerchief. There was a pool of rainwater accumulated on the sidewalk and he knelt down, washing the blood away and pulling his former teacher's hat on. With everything sufficiently covered up he was sure the dense law enforcement would overlook the blood on the sidewalk since there was neither a body nor a witness to the events, and without a care in the world Riku headed down the road to celebrate with a drink.

The bar was a popular dwelling place for those who wanted to forget and get on with life, most of whom were lonely looking men and money hungry women who were willing to cheer them up for a price. As soon as he opened the door he was greeted by a trio he was very familiar with in more than one sense of the word.

"There's a face I haven't seen in a while!"

"Where you been sweets?"

"Bring me anything this time?"

"Just here for a drink tonight ladies," he admitted, enjoying the attention though his interest wasn't in sex. He'd just beaten out the man who the entire country feared and he'd continue to make that name and reputation into his own.

"How funny! Me too!" one of the little brunette ones said as she got to her knees and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Free of charge."

Despite the offer he wasn't in the mood and helped her back to her feet, "Tomorrow Sara," she was his favorite, "Tonight I just want to celebrate." They took their leave and as he turned for the bar he spotted a foreigner. Foreigner's always had heavy wallets and he'd certainly picked the wrong bar to crawl into, "Evening," he said as he sat down on the chair next to him, "What's your misery?" The redhead peered over at him out of the corner or his eye and Riku said, "Anyone who comes in here comes to forget."

"It's my wife."

That was easier than Riku thought and he wondered if he should leave now before he could drone on about a pathetic love story. It was too late though and he went on, "I caught her with another man…again."

"Again? Is it a routine thing?" Riku laughed a bit, humoring his attempts at small talk while sizing him up. His clothes were expensive and of this country but he was definitely no native.

The foreigner nodded, "This makes the 12th time since we got married in the summer."

Riku looked skeptical to say the least but the other man remained dead serious in his expression and he downed the remains in his bottle before setting it back down. He'd clearly had enough but that was only going to make Riku's job easier, "Twelve times? Why are you still with the cow?"

"Her parents are mine," when Riku heard that he knew he was from far away, incest being something not particularly approved of here, "Not genetically but adoptively…I'm kind of property."

"Here ya go, just the way you like it," Riku looked up and saw Sara put the drink in front of him with a pleased smile. She really was a good little whore and he patted her on the head before she left to continue her evening. He picked up the drink and shrugged dismissively, "Sounds like a pretty crappy existence. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing to do," he said gloomily, finally pulling out the wallet Riku had been waiting for him to reveal. To his glee it was the size of his fist, stuffed full of money he was sure, "Cept for maybe go blow my brains out."

"With a whore or with a gun?" Riku asked but when the foreigner got up and left his wallet on the bar the answer was clear. He made it halfway to the door before that horrible little thing called a conscience took over and Riku got up, grabbing his wallet and going after him, "Hey, not so fast," when he grabbed his shoulder though the foreigner turned and hit him right in the cheek with enough force to knock him over. The money went flying out of the wallet and everyone in the bar dove to get their share while Sara hurried over to help Riku up, spotting the cut on his cheek the foreigner's ring left. Riku pulled away from her though and followed the foreigner out of the bar, stopping him on the stairs outside, "You picked the wrong guy to mess with."

The foreigner turned back and said, "Sorry about that. Thing is though you've got something hanging out of your pocket and if you're trying to cover something up do you really want to be where police would expect you to be? Leaving like that there won't be questions," he was quick and grinned a bit, "I'm Axel."

"Axel," Riku remembered the handkerchief and pulled it out of his back pocket, revealing the bloody mess and laughing a bit in his throat. Something like this would definitely target him as a suspicious character. "I'm Riku. Come on, I know another place and I'll buy you a drink," he offered, leaving the bloody handkerchief on the stairs where it would simply be mistaken for belonging to someone inside.

One drink turned into five and five turned into fifteen. Within two short hours they were both beyond the point of inebriation and the bar was clearing out as the morning drew in. Their stories were on the table, Riku's success and pride as the ripper and Axel's utter hatred of his wife.

"You want me to kill her?" Riku finally asked, his slur not nearly as evident as Axel's as he jumped, "What?!"

Riku repeated himself, clarifying a bit and sounding serious as he ran a finger around the rim of his glass, "Your wife, do you want me to kill her?"

Axel didn't reply right away, trying to digest what had just been said through his alcohol induced state of mind, "N-no! That's horrible!"

"What she's doing to you is horrible," Riku insisted, raising his voice with an unintentional sense of anger. Axel was getting walked all over and he shouldn't have to endure it, "Come on, I'll do it free of charge."

Axel just stared into the bottom of his empty glass with a long silence and Riku was just getting more annoyed. Finally Axel mumbled under his breath in a barely audible tone, "…Do you believe in second chances?"

"Nope," Riku didn't hesitate to reply. Second chances were pointless in his opinion. If a person was willing to risk everything, including relationships and reputation, they weren't worth his time.

Axel laughed a bit after hearing how quickly he replied and the utter lack of hesitation. He didn't reply right away, seeming to think about the offer at hand and finally saying, "She's on her 12th chance…one more, I'll give her one more."

Riku couldn't believe it, "Why? She's just going to keep hurting you," he insisted with a frustrated sigh as he got up to leave.

"Because I believe people can change."

Riku froze when he heard his words, utter foolishness and Axel was a fool for not listening to him, "People don't change Axel, our perception on them is the only thing that can change."

Riku waited for some sort of response and when it never came he headed for the doors, hearing Axel say as he left: "…I'll come back tomorrow. I'll give you an answer then." Riku wanted to help him and make him realize just how futile holding onto the hope things would change really was. Giving his wife yet another chance she didn't deserve was only hurting him more, "I'll be here."

Out on the street he pulled on his jacket to block out the cold chill of the approaching autumn season. With Jack's hat in his hand he couldn't help but grin in his inebriated state, starting down the sidewalk and humming to himself. It was Jack's fault, he deserved to die and Riku was the only one who could kill him. He first met the loon when he showed up drunk on the boarding school stoop earlier that year. In exchange for aid in getting out of the prep school Riku hid him till the alcohol wore off and when he tried to leave Riku shot him. His point was made and there was no getting out of their agreement.

Jack was a surgeon by day and by night he'd don the mask of an infamous murderer, whose name Riku never bothered to learn because it didn't concern him. He stayed in the guest room of the man's home during the day and followed him at night, watching how he committed his crimes grotesquely, defiling the bodies of the prostitutes he targeted. When questioned about why he removed their organs or limbs Jack would simply ignore him. Within his first week of staying with the ripper, Riku had taken up the occupation but put his own twist on it. Rather than target women who sold themselves he targeted the men who bought them, and rather than drag their deaths out as Jack did he made everything quick and to the point.

Earlier that evening he witnessed Jack commit the boldest and sloppiest crimes of his career. The victims were two forty-six year old women by the name of Catherine Eddowes and Elizabeth Stride, leaving them both to die of blood loss in very public locations with bodies mutilated. He was risking not only his own identity, but Riku's in how careless he'd been at covering his tracks and two murders in one night was overkill. Not about to risk his own neck, Riku just confronted Jack on the bridge home and took care of what Scotland Yard was unable to do. All he wanted to do now was go home and sleep now, sleep off the alcohol and into the afternoon.

* * *

"Your friend's running late."

Riku shut his pocket watch with a sigh, locking away the ticking minutes and looking up at Sara, "I don't see how he can forgive her."

"Maybe he loves her still," she suggested with a half-hearted smile. The bar was quiet just as it was every Sunday night and most people were either at evening mass or in bed with one of the lonely and money hungry women who usually crowded the bar.

Riku just laughed and shook his head, "Don't be stupid. How could he still love her? The cow openly betrays him with no regard for his feelings, there's nothing more sinful."

"And just what do you know about sin?" she asked with a chuckle.

Riku grinned and finished off the last of his drink as he got to his feet, "More than enough." Sara laughed and he bid her good night before heading out the doors. It was colder tonight than before and he hope the bastard who stood him up was freezing in the streets somewhere. It didn't make sense how a man could just keep rolling over when someone who was sworn to him acted unfaithfully. Barely three blocks down he heard a shrill scream and looked back up the street only to spot a man running out of the bar he'd just left. Three officers patrolling nearby ran past Riku and while two went after the man running the third went into the bar, "It's the Ripper! He's killed another!" In less than an hour the news hit all of London and Riku found himself lying in old Jack's empty home, a home he'd made his own since his master's death.

He swirled the bottle held in his hand idly, watching the brandy through the green glass, "…Imposters…How many of those messes were actually Jack's doing I wonder." Riku reached over and set the bottle down on the nightstand before rolling over and pulling the blankets up over his head to block out the cold.

"_And just what do you know about sin?"_

Poor Sara. She was only the first in a line of victims imposters claimed.

* * *

The weather was getting colder as well as the atmosphere in London. Serial killing was the new fad and each one Riku read about was sloppier than the rest, blatant faults in method yet Scotland Yard still couldn't track the ripper each victim was supposedly killed by. The real ripper hadn't been out in nearly two months, instead remaining within the walls of his old master's estate.

"_And just what do you know about sin?"_

Was this how Jack lost his mind? Sitting in a huge house all alone, reading stories about other people trying to accomplish what he took pride in? Riku rolled over on the couch, staring at the roaring fire, stoked frequently with stacks of newspapers documenting the new age of rippers. It was his job. His! What right did anyone have in thinking they could do it better? He was trained by the real ripper! No, he was better than him!

"I'm better than you."

"_Are you?"_

"I am!"

"_Hahahahahahaaa…prove it."_

Yes…he had to prove he was better than these imposters and that he was better than Jack himself. He was the ripper! He had killed dozens of people, men and women who didn't deserve to live, and he'd never been caught. He never left a clue behind. He had to prove he was the best. He had to commit the ultimate crime that nobody else could, and to a person nobody else could, "Victoria."

"_Kill the Queen."_

The thought rang a new wave of inspiration through his head and he sat up with a dry laugh which grew to the point he couldn't stop. Rising to his feet he grabbed the hat that once belonged to Jack off of the mantle, "You hear me Jack! I'll kill the Queen!" He threw the hat into the fireplace and watched it slowly eaten by the flames. It was his turn to shine. His turn to make a name, open the newspaper, and know the title was referring to him and him alone. The world would know his name and know what it represented!

A banging on the door made his laughter wind down and as he stumbled to the door he spotted the clock in the corner. It was late, who would be here at this hour? More importantly who would be here at all? Jack never had visitors and the last two months Riku had spent in solitary without any disturbance. Good sense took over and he stopped in the hall with a grin still on his face. This would be the warm-up, the appetizer to the real treat for the night. Slipping the two knives out from his sleeve where they always waited he reached for the doorknob, hiding them in one hand behind his back so the unsuspecting visitor would soon become an unsuspecting victim.

"Riku Mercutio?"

One quick movement slit the man's throat and kept his lips from muttering it again, "No, it's Jack," Riku said with a laugh forming in his throat again. To his alarm though he was quickly met by a dozen or so more men, all in uniforms similar to the one the bloodied up man wore. A trap? Immediately he slammed the door shut and locked it, ignoring the crushing sound made by the corpse's hand which got caught in the door. Riku bolted through the dimly lit house, heading for the back door but changing his plans when he heard the glass shatter in that direction. The front door was being banged on loudly and it was clear this was much bigger than he anticipated.

Hastily Riku went up the stairs, disappearing on the second floor just as a gunshot broke through the lock on the front door. He could hear shouts downstairs and the thuds of heavy feet all searching for him. Why?

"He's here somewhere! Find him!"

They were coming upstairs and Riku cringed as he heard them tear apart the house, coming closer and destroying anything that got in the way.

"Sir! There's blood!"

"A handprint it looks like!"

Riku held his breath and held his hand tight to his chest, blood from his slit palm slowly soaking his shirt.

"The blood trails into the dresser!"

They were close. He'd have to run for his life and he readied himself to flee as the men grabbed the dresser drawers and ripped them open. _'I won't be caught'_ was written plain as day in blood and the knives were left gouged into the wood, both still wet with Riku's blood. Not lingering to hear their reactions Riku jumped from the roof just outside the window nearby. A few of the men on the first floor saw him land after the two story plummet and keep running. He heard them shouting to alert the others but they would never catch him, he was already too far ahead and nothing would get in his way.

"Riku!"

That voice.

"Riku! Hey!"

He looked through the darkness and over at the city and saw a familiar face rushing towards him, "…Axel?" Before he could find out for sure a sharp pain burned right through him and the sound of the gunshot rang through his mind. He'd never been shot before and even if it was only in his shoulder it was enough to make him fall. To Riku's surprise though he didn't hit the ground, instead he was caught by Axel; whom he could see clearly this close.

"There's two of 'em!"

"Get both! Don't need witnesses!"

He could clearly hear the horror and panic in Axel's hasty breathing. He didn't need his help; he could take care of himself! Riku reached up to push Axel away but it was too late and a second gunshot pierced the night. Axel fell but Riku remained on his feet, ignoring the writhing man at his feet after taking a bullet to the side. While one hand clutched the bullet wound on his shoulder the other wretched a knife out of Axel's belt. He wouldn't be caught! "Damn you Riku! God damn you!" Axel snarled in pure agony as he was aware of what kind of cowardly escape he was about to make. Damn him indeed. Just as he pressed the metal to his throat though the men caught up with them and clocked him over the head with the butt of a pistol. Riku fell and lost hold of the knife, one of the men snatching it up quickly while another pushed him over so they could finally see his face, holding several lanterns down to get a good look.

"Yup, he's our target a'right."

Out of breath and in a great amount of pain Riku couldn't fight back as the rag was pressed over his mouth. Inhaling the almost sickeningly sweet chemical made him dizzy but distracted him from the world which had gradually fallen apart. Seconds later his consciousness slipped away and the last thing he heard was Axel cursing his existence. It was an existence that deserved to be cursed, and one which would soon become an eternal curse.

Pride.

* * *

I love how mental Riku turns towards the end. Two months in solitary while other people flaunt what used to be yours would be pretty unhinging I imagine. The entire 'Jack the Ripper' conspiracy is a well documented urban legend which holds some historical legitimacy. There was a ripper but the exact number of victims is a mystery, just as the identity of the man who started it all. The death and life of him was an unknown one, and it's possible there was more than one but we'll never know what really happened.

Right so I'm all done here. My next sin origin will probably be Demyx's so keep an eye out for that in the next month! Let me know what you though, if this was a waste of both our time or if it was something worth readin! Wishing you all the best in all the world!

~Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


	24. Sin: Lust

Proud to say I wrote this all in one sitting! Demyx was a lot of fun to write in my opinion, he always has been. There's a bit of a shocker in this chapter about halfway through and it's consistent with the story. Speaking of consistency, I hope you all pick up on the fact these events and years mentioned in _Define Sin_ are all very precise and accurate with the actual ongoings. I had a few people comment on Jack the Ripper accuracy, including the victims mentioned, and it made me very happy to know there are other history fans out there. Look into these times, I picked them because they're really interesting points and are a lot of fun to work with. Enjoy!

* * *

**Sin: Lust**

**Paris, France**

**February 14****th****, 1893**

"Oi Cossette! Hang in there almost done!"

"I can see it! I see the head!"

"Eck! It's disgusting!"

As the dozen or so scantily clad women chirped like birds on a fencepost the young blonde one in bed cursed and cried into the rag clenched between her teeth. She fell back on the bed where an older woman held her shoulders, "Come on dear, almost there," she assured her, encouraging her just like the rest of the women.

"One more Cossette, one more," she heard the doctor and with the hope one more would end this agony she sat up and pushed till she felt like her entire body would rip apart. A laughing filled the room but the girls were silent, just like the mother who'd brought the bastard into the world. It was laughing to the shock of them all, but it was only the first shock the little blonde bastard would bring them.

* * *

"Mama Rosie!"

The cheer rang over the sound of the piano and the heavyset redheaded woman turned just in time to see the pride and joy of the cabaret spring down the stairs and run for her. She opened her arms and the blonde jumped up into them, "Carry me over the threshold mama Rosie! It's such a nice day!"

The woman laughed, "I'll do no such thing boy, you have two legs and a head on your shoulders." He laughed with a big grin as always, wrapping his arms around her neck and holding tight. She shrugged him off though and let go, "And ya' too old for that carrying nonsense."

"Aw be nice to him Rose! Here Demy I'll carry you if you want," another woman spoke up. The rehearsal was quickly slipping like the women's attention and the piano player gave up with a thump on the keys. The bastard, now 18 and still laughing, picked himself up and hurried over, "I'll be the one to carry you mama Coco!" Mama Rosie and mama Coco were only two of his so called 'mamas.' Every woman who worked around the red windmill and helped raise him was a mama too and he loved them all. Scooping up mama Coco was an easy task unlike it would be for Rosie and he spun her around before setting her down and leading her in a spinning dance. The laughter was contagious just like it had always been but it abruptly stopped when a banging alerted them all.

"Demyx, do not interrupt rehearsal. Just because you're late doesn't mean you need to announce your arrival."

"Cut 'im some slack Cossette, the boy had a long night I bet," spoke up mama Lily with a clear suggestion in her voice which caused a few snickers amongst the group.

Demyx shook his head though, "It's okay mama, it's my fault," he told Lily before looking up to the woman who was his actual mother, "Sorry Cossette, I overslept." She wasn't mama, she was the boss. After the death of her lover and the founder of the Moulin Rouge, Charles Zidler, in 1892 the dance hall was left in her care.

She didn't bother looking up from her book, instead just telling them all, "Get back to work. Long night or not, it doesn't excuse him." As everyone returned to their places in an attempt to resume rehearsal Rosie nudged Demyx out of his stare, "Dun look at her hon, may eat your soul." Demyx laughed a bit and joined the others, the only Y chromosome in a sea of X's. Hours whirled by and when blood started seeping into the cracks of the wooden floors, a sign toes in uncomfortable shoes were wearing thin, they were dismissed for the afternoon.

"Urg what a pain," Lily groaned as she sat down on the piano seat and untied her shoes. Demyx glanced over her shoulder and saw the tint of red stained to the soles in her shoes, cringing and turning to the piano instead, "Poor mama," he said while sitting down next to her on the bench. As his fingers caressed the ivory keys, prying notes from the instrument, a few other women joined them around the piano. Shoes were shed and corsets were loosened while he played them a tune to relax after the rough rehearsal.

"So Demy, who were the lucky girls last night?"

"Alice and her sister Lucy, then Jules, Nicole…and Marius," he said slowly, looking up at mama Coco with a smile. The look the women gave him wasn't a happy one, "What?"

"You saw another boy?" Lily asked, finally getting her shoes off and sitting up straight, "Your mother won't be happy."

"He paid well though, more than any of the girls before him. Besides, she's making money regardless of who pays to get in my bed," Demyx shrugged and continued to play the keys, looking down at his fingers as they effortlessly found the right notes, "You guys get to sleep with men all the time, why should I be any different?" he said jokingly and they all laughed.

"Leave the boy alone! Off and shower all of you!" Rosie clapped her hands to break up the group around the piano, acting as the responsible party as always. As they hurried off, shoes in hand, Demyx continued to play. He didn't have to rush like the other girls since he had separate quarters from them all which included a tub.

Rosie was about to follow the girls when she paused and turned back to the piano, "That's a pretty tune Demdem, where'd you learn that?"

"Sheet music Christian left me," he told her, fingers skipping a note when he realized his slip of tongue. He stopped playing as Rosie came back over to the piano. She put a hand under his chin and lifted his clearly embarrassed face up to see, "Demyx you know your mother doesn't like that kind of sin."

"Sin?" he scoffed and looked away, "This place is made of sin and flowers. It looks beautiful but we're all getting condemned in one way or another."

"Hey now, what kind of talk is that boy?" she said, letting go and putting her hands on her large hips.

Demyx smiled though and turned to her, "Don't worry about me mama Rosie, I'm fine."

"I'll worry about you since you clearly aren't," she insisted before closing the piano to prevent further playing, "…Bed who you want but be careful. The last thing you want to do is give fifty or so mothers a scare, believe me." Demyx didn't say anything but when she reached down to give him a hug he returned it tightly and held on.

"Demyx."

Demyx looked up the stairs but held onto Rosie, spotting his mother at the top. She didn't have to say anything and Rosie took her leave as the silence instructed. Demyx sat back down at the piano and ran a hand down the polished wood cover as his mother crossed the floor. "Give me that," she said, not needing to elaborate. Demyx didn't move right away, a sigh slowly escaping his lips as he fished down his shirt and pulled out a necklace. Before he could untie it Cossette ripped the charm off off, breaking the chain and bringing it to her face to see, "Hiding payment I see."

"It was a present," he told her.

"It is genuine diamond. A present like this is one you don't keep to yourself," as she pocketed the diamond she asked, "Which one gave it to you?"

"…Claudia," Demyx lied and the prolonged silence made it clear his mother knew better. Without another word he rose and headed for the stairs. He had a show to get ready for and a long evening after that.

* * *

"Christ! You're so beautiful!"

He didn't want compliments, he just wanted more. Sex wasn't enough and in a hellhole where it was fuck, be fucked, and satisfy. Leaving the exhausted girl in the room she'd paid for, Demyx straightened his clothes and went out in search of his second pick of the night. He needed someone who could do what the sleeping whore couldn't and he grabbed the first drunken foreigner he could find, hauling him away down the hall.

"Woah little man, where we going?"

Demyx ignored the question the drunk man rambled out and pushed open the door to his room, the one place he was sure none of his co-workers would visit. As soon as the door was shut he attempted to shove the larger man over but it proved impossible, "I see you're still somewhat sober."

"I'm good at holding my booze," the foreigner said. Was he Russian? It sounded less coarse and much clearer, had he traveled and lost it? Demyx didn't care where he was from though, "Why not try holding me instead?" he didn't want to waste time talking. He just wanted to quell the lust which haunted him every night, a task that took usually three to five girls with the occasional well paying man.

There was a skeptical silence at first but finally with a sigh the foreigner said, "…Eh hell, tried everything else. How much?"

"One-hundred francs," Demyx told him, already working to undo the buttons on the man's shirt.

"Not a cheap fuck eh?"

Demyx just grinned, "I'm worth it."

* * *

"Demy?"

_A scarred body. Muscles firm under the corpse cold skin. A Cyclopes in all aspects, but one eye was all it took to see through him._

"Hey Demy!"

_Sharp teeth. Large, rough, strong hands. A single Roman Numeral on his back, a black 1 ebbed in mystery. A weight on top of him which brought with it a horrible pleasure he couldn't deny._

"DEMYX!"

He looked up from the piano keys at Rosie, "Yes mama?"

"Don't 'mama' me boy," she said, "You've just been sitting there all morning. We need music you know!"

"Sorry, I'm on it," he quickly brought his focus in as rehearsal began, playing the notes effortlessly while his mind wandered.

_Moaning like the whore he was underneath the foreigner he abandoned all dignity and composure if only for the sake of the attention. Every nerve in his body was alive and hot as he practically begged for more. Muscles and sensations he didn't know existed were now alive within him. For the first time it seemed like he was the one getting the attention rather than giving it. It left as quickly as it came though and Demyx woke up in his bed, alone, with money on the table._

It slowly occurred to him that his fingers had stopped moving and he looked up only to see others all staring at him impatiently. Though he looked for an explanation, he had none to give, "I'm sorry…I'm not feeling well." The benefit to having so many mothers came in the form of the worried faces, room service, frequent check-ins, all while he spent the afternoon in bed. The money on the desk had been taken by his mother but it didn't matter since it wasn't like he had any use for it. There was only one thing he needed, and the sheets still reeked of him.

"Demdem honey, there's someone here to see you. Says he's a friend," Demyx recognized mama Coco's voice but didn't bother getting up, instead pretending to be asleep so they'd go away and let him get over last night. Apparently they bought it because he heard her explain to the visitor that he was ill and needed to rest.

"That's fine, I'll just come back."

That voice!

"_Not a cheap fuck eh?"_

He quickly sat up and said, "I'm okay mama, he can come in!" Blaming his hasty reply on his sickness, Coco nodded and left Demyx and the foreigner alone. "What are you doing here?" Demyx asked after the door was shut.

"Lie back down," was all the foreigner said and Demyx complied, a surge of relief and excitement coursing through him as he was quickly joined on the bed. As the Russian leaned in and started to pull his clothes away he asked, "So Demdem's your name?"

Demyx didn't protest, in fact he pulled his shirt off himself to save time, "It's Demyx." The Cyclops wasted no time in breaching deep into him, "I'm Xigbar," was all he said. The distraction that haunted him all morning was in his bed again before noon and returned that evening as well, this continued for three days when everything abruptly came to an end on a cool February night.

"My birthday is tomorrow…Almost today technically I guess."

Xigbar looked down at him as he buttoned up his shirt. Demyx was still tangled in the sheets and mumbling in his state of exhaustion, "Happy birthday."

Demyx smiled and pulled the sheets tighter around his body, "You'll come again tonight right?"

"You're just trying to make me into a poor man," laughed Xigbar as he grabbed his jacket off the chair and pulled it on. Demyx saw him take the francs out of his wallet and drop them on the table. For the first time it occurred to him he had no idea where Xigbar's money came from, or why a one-eyed Russian was even visiting the Moulin, "I'm worth it."

"With pride like that I know someone you'd get along with well," Xigbar said with a scoff in his voice as he pocketed his wallet.

Curious Demyx tried to shake off his sleep as he hugged one of the many pillows to his chest, "Whossat?"

"…A co-worker."

"Oh? Where do you work?" Demyx asked through his exhaustion. When Xigbar didn't answer he opened his eyes and saw him staring out the rain splattered window in a dull daze. Propping himself up on his elbows, Demyx watched the Cyclops intently, "Xiggy?" Without another word he turned and headed for the door to Demyx's surprise, "Hey wait!" Xigbar stopped and looked back at him. Demyx didn't know what to say or ask, all he knew was that there was something more to him. A dark secret, "…Are you going to come tomorrow night?"

A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth and it sent a slight shiver up Demyx's spine when he said, "If you do your job right."

And with that said he was gone. Demyx smiled contently and slumped back into bed as he pulled the sheets closer, the Russian's smell lingering and making him dizzy. A knock on the door kept him from drifting off to sleep; he feigned it though and hoped the person would just go away. When the knob turned though and he heard someone come in he sat up, "Get up Demyx." Cossette stood in the doorway and the expression on her face made it clear she knew what had gone on in the room. The smell of sex and nicotine was suffocating and she scowled, "Get up. The sun isn't up yet and you have work to do."

"I'm tired. The money is on the table," he said before falling back into bed. He'd earned enough for the evening in one run with the Russian Cyclops.

"There are girls asking for you. I'm not going to send well paying customers away," she hissed as she crossed to pick up the money, counting it out and noticing a leaf of paper fall out from between the bills. Demyx spotted it too but his mother didn't bother picking it up, instead ignoring it and telling him, "There's a Duchess. She'll pay well and if you do your job right she may-"

Demyx cut her off though and rolled over to face the wall, "You get paid to do a job. I haven't seen a quid of anything I earn."

Cossette didn't argue with him any further and on her way out of the room she told him, "Your foreign friend is going to cause you trouble if you keep seeing him…which is why I'm putting you on probation."

"What?!" Demyx sat up abruptly upon hearing the news but his mother left without an explanation. Probation…it was a sentence saved for those who were pregnant, ill, or injured. No rehearsal. No performing. No sex. The thought alone horrified him and he clutched the sheets tightly in his hands as it ran through his mind. No sex. He hadn't had a fuck-free night since he'd turned fifteen and he wasn't sure what normal people did during those hours. He could do it though, it couldn't be that hard. Just one night without sex, maybe more, it couldn't be that difficult right? A night without sweat; without sweet and ever-changing tastes. A night without hands to hold him in place and a night without hot kisses on his neck.

A shaky sigh slipped from his lips and Demyx hung his head which was quickly becoming heavy with those sorts of thoughts. A night with clothes and modesty was nothing he wanted. All he wanted was to hear heavy breaths colliding with his own while clinging to the sheets and shoulders of…His mind reeled at the thought and as he ran his tongue across his dry lips he resisted the urge. Quickly he remembered the paper that fell out of his pay and, using it as a distraction, Demyx got out of bed and picked it up off the floor. What had Xigbar left him? A naughty love note perhaps?

_Get out._

Demyx was confused and looked on the reverse side for more but those two words were all there was to be seen. "Get out…Get out of what?" he didn't understand but he snapped out of thought when there was a knock on the door. He planned to ignore them but just as he was getting back into bed the door opened.

"Are you Demyx Puck?" He didn't say anything but when the man shut the door he knew he was in trouble. "I was told you're a whore," he was a client. His timing couldn't be more perfect. He'd defy his mother and satisfy his own torment, "Indeed I am. You have some use of my company?" he asked as he stood up, holding the sheets loosely around his form.

"Very much so," there was an underlying edge in his voice which made Demyx uncomfortable but he shook it off as he came over to the side of the bed, "Put your arms behind your back." Great, a bondage freak. He did as he was told though after letting go of the sheet, "This is going to cost you extra."

"You won't be needing that money where you're going," with his wrists tied all Demyx could do was shout for help, a technique which was cut short when a rag was tied over his mouth. Struggling and thrashing, a glimmer of hope arose when he heard the door open, looking over only to see two more unfamiliar men enter.

"The cars waiting, lets go!"

"This kid can't be much older than my own."

"You're sure this is the one?"

"Yeah! What if you grabbed the wrong one?"

What were they talking about? Demyx didn't understand and easily fell to his knees when shoved. He was still worn out from his rendezvous with Xigbar not too long ago and was nearly half the size of his captors. A cold hand rubbed across his throat though and the next thing they said caused a strange combination of nausea and arousal, "Why don't I test him out to be sure?"

"Hey, you can't do that!" Oh thank goodness, a voice of reason, Demyx thought until the man added, "No fair to the rest of us."

"What if the boss finds out though? She'll get pissed!"

"Think she'll listen to what this kid says? Come on, he's used to it anyway I'm sure." Shouting protests into the rag was a pointless effort to stop them, and Demyx quickly gave up as his body gave in. The situation, bad as it was, was something new and twisted; the entire thing spurring on a strange slur of desire he couldn't control. Within hours though, he would find his existence to be anything but pleasurable.

Lust.

* * *

…So anyone surprised to see Xigbar? I've had this concept in my head since coming up with sin origins way back at the start of the story. Never really got mentioned in the main story but that's the reason Demyx and Xigbar seem naturally close. There you have it. The story of the second youngest sin (115, second only to Sora) is slightly less morbid than that of Riku's but that's what makes them different. My next project is probably going to be Xigbar or Zexion, but I need to update _Heaven's Light_ first since I'm significantly behind. Please let me know what you thought of this one. So far it seems you're enjoying the whole origin concept and they're fun to write too. Thanks for reading and as always I wish you all the best in all the world!

~Your loving bohemian, Mad-TopHat-Ter


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